A Deathly Fairytale
by LightofaThousandSuns
Summary: AU. L, a noble turned servant, meets Raito Yagami, prince and heir to the throne. What starts out as a chance encounter becomes something neither one expected: A wild, romance and lie-filled ride. COMPLETE. YAOI, LxLight, MattxMello, Shonen-Ai.
1. Snow and Fire Set the Stage

A/N: Hello there again! Yes, I'm bringing you another Death Note story! :) And I'm going to get a few things out of the way first. One, I don't have an update schedule for this baby yet. I'm currently working on _This_ _Eternity, Not So Sweet and Normal Days,_ and other one-shots and requests from friends. The first few chappies should be up pretty quickly, and I'll try to keep a steady pace with this one. Also:

1) This is an **AU **story, set in a kingdom. You'll see English and Japanese references. You'll also see future and medieval references. Think of the setting as a futuristic/classic kingdom.

2) Rating is T for now, but there **will** be Yaoi later on, so yes, the rating will go up. Oh, and no like, no read!

3) Ages are different here, and that will be detailed later! And almost all DN characters will make an appearance in this story.

4) No Kira here, folks, so sorry. XD There'll be some special DN references, so keep your eyes open!

Oh, and this is a crossover between DN, fairy tales/fables, and the movie Ever After (Yes, the idea came from watching that movie... XD). If you haven't seen it, that's okay, you don't need to know the movie to get the story, and the story doesn't follow that plot line exactly either.

Phew...well, that's done! So, I present to you, _A Deathly Fairytale..._

_Every man's life is a fairy tale written by God's fingers._

_- Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875)_

_OOOoooOoOOOooOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

Man never takes the time to consider the precious hours that he spends just breathing, just thinking, just living. The lives of Homo sapiens have come to be all too complicated to enjoy the natural wonders by which God has graced the land that they inhabit. Love and happiness being of those two, but I am not going to sit here and lecture on the points that should change in society. No, I will talk of certain members of society that tried to break the boundaries man himself did set.

One boundary includes status. Human have always tried to give labels and titles to themselves. To boost pride, to be thought highly of, and to get the most amount of opportunities that they could are just a few reasons why status was, and is, so important. In all forms of kingdoms reigns, and parliaments, status of man reared its ugly head.

And in one kingdom, it always seemed that L Lawliet would never have to worry about status and his future. The young boy was born into the noble Lawliet family, and his parents held a great title in the kingdom of Kisamari, and in their small village of Kanto. But, the family was far from social, and even though they were famous, they were rarely seen outside their small home. For nobles, the family consisting of a married couple, they prided themselves on keeping to and not making a show of themselves, and that included not flashing their belongings as if they had become the new royal family.

Though the Lawliet family was shrouded in mystery, Mrs. Lawliet had two good friends: Naomi Misora and Mary Kenwood. Misora was not seen often for she lived on the farther side of the kingdom, but the Lawliet woman had great faith in her for multiple reasons.

And for that reason alone was why Mary Kenwood was running as fast as she could to that woman's home, clutching the Lawliet's only child and his birth certificate to her chest. She swore she would remember this day forever as the snow gently fell around her, and it crunched beneath her small, velvet slippers.

The Lawliet's had appeared on her doorstep early that morning, six AM. They demanded she hold on to L and his certificate, stating his birth date, the name of his parents, and his noble status. She questioned why, but they just said 'something has come up; we need you to watch him'. The blonde happily obliged, the woman of the couple had been her best friend since their school days after all.

But now, the woman was shocked as she looked back at the Lawliet home as flames engulfed it, blazing brightly against the gray sky.

What had happened? Men had rushed in to save the couple, but it was too late. They had died, it **seemed,** from smoke inhalation very quickly.

_Or had they...? _Mary thought to herself as she continued running. It all seemed too suspicious. Did they know something was to happen to them? Was someone after them? Did someone **murder** them? All questions that would now never be answered.

Mary couldn't believe the sight when she saw her neighbor's home ablaze around ten AM, and she told the other standbys that L was safely in her custody. Still shock had warped her calm mind into a desert of chaos and mistrust.

But, at the time, she wondered what she was to do with L? She was a single woman with the important job as being an ambassador to the other kingdoms for his highness. She couldn't handle a child!

Thankfully, God had graced Mrs. Lawliet with a wonderful mind, for the woman had left a note tucked in L's blanket, reading:

_If an emergency happens, take L to Naomi Misora. _

Not a moment after seeing that did Mary break into a sprint so fast, she herself was surprised at the stamina she showed.

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"MOM! SOMEONE'S AT THE DOOR!!" Came the girly shriek from inside the large cottage.

"Then answer it, Misa! I busy with your brother at the moment!" An older woman called back.

"Humph! Fine!" She opened the door with a huff, and curtly began to state, "What do you-" But she stopped when she caught sight of the figure in her doorway.

A tall blonde woman, dressed in a brown cloak, covered in ash and snow. And carrying a crying baby.

"Uh...Mommy?" The four year old girl called.

"WHAT?!"

"There's someone here to see you..."

"Well, who-", Naomi came around the corner and gasped, "Wedy?! What...What happened?!"

Mary smiled at being called her childhood nickname, but her expression turned serious, and she still panted from the hard run.

"Is...Is that..." The very attractive brunette woman eyed the crying child.

"Yes..." Mary moved a flap of the babe's blanket to unveil large, piercing gray eyes, and tips of black hair. "It's L."

It didn't take long to explain the situation to Naomi, and she heartily took L into her arms, a wide smile covering her thinly-framed face. Ever since her husband Raye had died in the last war, known as the DEATH war, she longed for another child to accompany her daughter Misa, and her son Mello. And now, here was L, a child prodigy that she had been assigned by her best friend to raise.

It was true that L was prodigy. His genius was already beginning to show even though he was only five months old. He was already speaking fluently, and his curious nature was growing by the day. The Lawliets had had high hopes for their son, and now it was Naomi's job to make sure that they were achieved.

Misora's family was also of noble blood, and it was no trouble due to the Lawliets thinking that L's birth certificate should accompany him to Mary's home. He would keep his title due to the certificate, and he would enjoy the lavish noble lifestyle due to his new home.

Misora's other children, Mello and Misa, had mixed feelings about their new brother. Mello was somewhat happy that he had another male he could show how the world works, and play and tease. The spunky blonde two year-old figured he would enjoy the new addition, since it also seemed L was intelligent, like he was. Though Naomi knew Mello's intelligence would probably not reach the level of L's, she knew they could find solace in each other.

Misa, on the other hand, was far from thrilled about her new brother. The bubbly, yet ditzy blonde girl easily became jealous, and a new arrival was **not** was she wanted. She wasn't very bright, she herself knew that, but her cute, four year-old looks had charmed the whole kingdom and she had acquired a multitude of friends. Misa would make sure that she would one day be the center of attention again. No matter what the costs...

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Five years passed uneventfully in L's life. Naomi raised him like a normal child, but she left out what his family name was, and who his parents were. She thought it would be best not to trouble the young lad with sad and scary thoughts at such a young age.

L was growing up to be a promising candidate for any job. His intelligence did exceed both Mello and Misa's by far, and Naomi was proud to see that the boy had grown up quite well under his circumstances.

But tragedy was to strike the raven-haired boy again; this time, in the form of sickness.

It was a quiet night, and Naomi called L into her room.

"N-Naomi?" L had never called her mother throughout the half a decade, but the older woman did not mind. She knew it was because L knew that she was not his real mother.

"L...I am dying." She firmly stated.

"W...what? How-You can't!" The normally stoic child who would rather bury himself in a book than go outside began to go into hysterics.

"Hush, now. It's...the flu, you know that."

"Flu? How can...oh...yes, it can kill."

"It just came on suddenly, sweetie, and you know of my weak immune system. The doctor said tonight may be my last night."

Tears shimmered in the child's eyes. "But..."

"Please, do not worry, you are a strong boy."

"But...what can I do? I-"

"Go into my bedside table drawer, and bring me the paper that is in there."

L obeyed, and brought the paper back to the ill woman.

"Do you see this? It is your birth certificate."

The raven's eyes widen, and he grabbed the paper from his step-mother's hands.

"L...Lawliet? That's...my family name?"

"Yes, and do you see where it says status as noble? That shows you are of noble blood."

"So...I **am** of noble blood? Even though I am not part of the Misora family?"

"Yes. And as long as you have that, you will always have your high status in this land. And no one can take your name away from you either."

"N-Naomi..."

"And your interesting quirks also make you very unique." She gave a half-hearted chuckle as she referred to L's unusual taste for sweets and his odd insomnia that he began to suffer from when he was one.

L finally couldn't hold back the tears any longer and he embraced the other woman in a hug. The tears flowed freely, and it was to be the last time L would ever cry for many, many years.

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Naomi Misora was buried the next day next to her husband in the Kimichi Cemetery. Misa, who was now nine, was the head of the household, and though others asked her if she would need assistance, she heartily denied it. For now, her plan to get rid of L would take place, and it would come in the form of his certificate. That precious certificate that every person had that deemed who they were in life.

Once they had arrived home from the funeral, Misa casually walked into L's room, and took the certificate from his hidden spot upon his gigantic bookcase. He had hidden in secretly, but Misa had been watching and listening to her late mother and her "brother's" conversation, and she had followed L to his room and saw the blessed spot.

_Now...it all will change..._ Though Misa was not the brightest bulb in the package, she was deceitful and conniving for a nine year old girl. And L's life **was** about to change for the worse.

Mello had been laying flowers at his mother's grave; beautiful white lilies that grew all around Kanto during the springtime. As the young boy was coming back to the home, he heard a shout of distress.

_L! God, not him too!_

The blonde boy burst through the house door and was shocked to see his step-brother on the floor, his arms clutching his bony, lithe shoulders, his gray-black eyes wide in fear.

"M-Misa...please...don't..." L whispered, and Mello was confused until he saw his blonde sister standing over a blazing fire in the fireplace.

"What the hell are you doing Mi-" Then, L's birth certificate came clearly into view for the blue-eyed blond boy.

"Misa...are you-Don't! You can't!" Mello said incoherently, the intelligent seven-year old knew exactly what his sister had in mind.

"Oh, I can brother, and I will." Her tiny, girlish hand stretched closer towards the fire.

"Do you realize what will happen if you burn his certificate!?"

"Hai. Of course I do." She paused and looked down at L with disdain, "He will become our**-my-**servant."

All three knew of the caste system that had been set up in the kingdom of Kisamari by the great-great grandfather of Sochiro Yagami, the current king. At the top was the royal family, consisting of Sochiro, Sachiko, his wife, Sayu, his daughter, and Raito, his son, and the heir to the Yagami throne. After the royal family came the warriors and certain families that had ties to the royal family. The next level consisted of all nobles and their families, followed by the peasants and farmers after them. Finally, the last level consisted of slaves and servants.

There were few rules involving the system. You could marry outside your level, and associate with each other and there was mostly equal treatment, but the slaves and servants were the one exception. No equal treatment was given to them, and they were made to work extremely hard and were looked down upon with disdain.

There were also two ways you could become a slave or a servant: One, you were born that way through your parents being either one. Or two, you had lost your birth certificate for some reason that stated what your class was. Only one copy was issued at birth by the royal priests, and it was needed to be kept safe, for you would never receive another. There were too many people in the kingdom to keep a complete set of every person's certificate at the royal grounds, and it was illegal to make copies of the certificate.

If it was discovered that your certificate was gone or destroyed for any reason, it was reported to the priests, and you were immediately taken out of the family registry, and thereby dubbed a servant or slave. There was not much difference between the two; it depended on your personality and attributes which title you were given (Slaves were the worst of the two, many died each year due to over-excruciating labor). You would be forced to work in another's home, following their every command. You would become the scum of the town.

In L's case, since he was adopted, he would be forced to work for his adopted family if Misa's plan went without a hitch. But there was one issue: Mello and L were about to see her burn the certificate with their own eyes, and it was illegal to destroy someone's certificate purposefully. This, though, didn't stop it from happening. It was indeed a common occurrence, but many of those that did the terrible deed were never caught. And that's exactly what Misa was planning.

"Misa, if you go through with it, I'll just tell everyone that **you **did it. I won't hesitate to-"

"Yes, you will Mello! Because if you breathe one word about this to anyone, I'll spread the nastiest rumors about you, and damage your reputation so badly, you'll be exiled from this place. **And,** I'll tell everyone that you got Mother killed, that you went to that witch in the forest and asked her to make Mother sick! And guess what Mello, they'll believe me! They all already do!"

It was true. Everyone in Kanto trusted Misa Misa one hundred percent. They were victims to her charms, her cuteness, and most likely, if Misa started saying she was God, every one would believe her. And it wasn't like Misa lied all the time; Now that she was about to, everyone would trust her.

"Mello...please do something!" L begged to his older brother. They had become closer over the past few years, and the raven hoped that he would help him in some way.

The blonde boy bit his lip, contemplating. He was torn between his options. Oh, it wasn't that he didn't want to help L; it was the fact that he couldn't. He knew Misa would tell terrible lies about him, and he knew that even if he tried to deny them, the people of Kanto would believe her, not him. Mello was known for being a trouble maker and a part-time liar.

He sighed, running a hand over his face, and turned his back to the scene.

"I'm sorry, L."

With that, Misa threw the certificate into the fire, and L screamed with fright. He knew his fate was up in the air now, and it would only be a matter of time before disaster struck him.

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And disaster did come in the form of the holy priest that resided in Kanto. He decided to check up on the children, and make sure they were settled in for the rest of their lives. When the man was checking all three birth certificates of the children, just to make sure everything was in order, Misa brought up L's.

"He never had one...at least I don't think so." She said innocently. "Mother never showed us that he had one."

This sent the priest into a twitter, and of course, he scavenged the house, trying to find it, while Misa devilishly smirked, and L shivered with fright. Mello tried to comfort his step-brother, but the raven heartily ignored him, breaking Mello's heart in the process.

When it was deemed L's certificate was gone, the priest wrote down that he was now a servant to the rest of the Misora household, and that he was to be treated differently from now on.

"But L's our brother!" Misa proclaimed while oozing child-like innocence and wonder, "He has to be treated fairly!"

"Sorry, Misa. It's just the law. But he's your servant so you can treat him at home however you wish."

"Well, we'll treat him good! Right Mello?"

"..." Mello just nodded

"That's what everyone says." The priest stated, "But the thrill of having someone that bows down to you without hesitation gets to them, and they treat their servants harshly. But, you won't be looked down upon if you do, Misa, so don't hesitate, alright?"

The elderly man left silently, but he waited outside the door.

When he heard a scream of pain from L, and a shout from Misa, he knew that the remaining Misora children would come to be like the rest of their society: haters of those beneath them.

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All throughout Kanto, the news spread of L's reduction in status. The lie that Misa had told the priest also spread like wildfire: That Naomi had known L's certificate had been destroyed a long time along when his parents had died, and she didn't report it to the royal priests; she was keeping him illegally as one with noble blood was what Misa had told him. The blonde girl was "crying" by the time she finished her tale, claming her mother had asked her to keep it a secret.

This lie spread like a disease through Kanto and the kingdom, and Naomi's reputation was tarnished indefinitely. All believed it too, because L had never been seen much outside his home. He had not attended school (Naomi realized it wouldn't be good due to L's high intelligence) and many took that as a confirming sign. The young man had also been anti-social, and even though that was just L's nature, the people of Kanto took it as a bad sign. Also, the one person who could vouch for Naomi and say that L's certificate wasn't destroyed, Mary Kenwood, had "disappeared" mysteriously. Some say she was killed, others say she just left. It was a complete mystery...

The name Lawliet was also forgotten about. It didn't matter if that was where L had come from, all that mattered was what had been stated on that certificate. And now that it was gone, so was L's past. L was now just L.

All of the raven's belongings had been destroyed by Misa too. The blonde forced him to continue his living in the basement, giving him only a cotton sheet and a pillow to sleep with. Her commands were harsh, she ordered him to do all kinds of chores and to obey her bidding. She even made him do idiotic and humiliating things, such as try on her new outfits in front of her friends just for laughs, or she would send him out to the store to buy something, such as bread, and then she would just destroy it, and told the boy to go back and buy another. L had to follow all commands, lest he be arrested or killed.

L was not given much to eat, only two sparse meals a day, and he was forbidden from wearing any fancy designs and clothes. This was fine to him. The growing lad was more comfortable in the traditional servant attire: a plain white t-shirt and blue jeans. He also wasn't fond of normal food, and his fancy for sweets had grown tremendously. But since he needed strength, he ate what was given to him.

Mello also tried to repair the burnt bridge between him and L. He would sneak sweets away and take them to his step-brother, but L's cold stare never changed to anything else. What made it even worse was that Mello was forced to hurt L due to Misa's threats. He was made to order his brother around, and force him into tasks as well. This just kept damaging their relationship, but Mello swore he would one day get L to care for him again.

L was also abused by his sister, being hit and kicked repeatedly whenever she wished. And he could not object to her disgusting behavior...but secretly, he trained in the basement. Naomi had taught him various martial arts before she passed, including capoeria, and L wanted to keep up his training. Even though he could never harm Misa or Mello, the insomniac boy realized it may be helpful later on in life...

...

Years passed, and nothing changed. Except L. He became quieter, colder, and less caring to those around him. He saw himself as nothing but L, and he tried to push the memories of the past away. The raven knew his heart was dead, and no one could bring it back. Sometimes, he'd catch glimpses of happy families, royal or peasant, and he would wish that was still how things were with him and his own "family".

_What family...? Mine...is dead..._

So L gave up on happiness, he gave up on those fairy tales that parents spew to their kids just to make them happy. His life was to never be like that...

But...he was wrong...and when fourteen years had passed, and L was nineteen, the guy and his heart were about to get a wake-up call...

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A/n: Well, there's the first chapter! I really hoped you enjoyed it! Please leave a review!

Oh, and here are the ages for everyone:

-1st chapter: L-5, Misa-9 and Mello-7

From now on, the ages are: L-19, Misa-23 and Mello-21

Raito will appear next chapter, and so will a lot more people, so look forward to that.

Again, I hoped you enjoyed this. I haven't written any real AU stories yet, so I'm excited to see where this goes! See you soon!! :)


	2. Royal Issues and Screams of Joy

A/n: Hello there

A/n: Hello there! Thanks for all of the lovely reviews, favs, and alerts last time! :D So now I bring you chapter 2! Enjoy!!

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_If you see the magic in a fairy tale, you can face the future._

_-Danielle Steel_

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One can look at the sunrise over a valley of rolling hills, and proclaim it to be a new day for new beginnings. One can also say that a sunrise represents God' grace and beauty, and the kindness that he shows all by putting on such a beautiful display of color for the entire world to see. Others see the sunrise as hope, or a confirmation of faith, depending on one's religion.

L Lawliet, though, was none of those people. Sunrises early in the morning meant nothing to him now. No, wait, they did mean one thing: repetition. The same thing every day, for the past fourteen years.

Every time the raven-haired man saw the sun rise gallantly every morning, the rays peeking through his lone, small window in the ratty basement of the home of his, what he liked to call, "employer"; in other words, Misa. L knew that every sunrise brought servitude, humiliation, pain, embarrassment; the man could make a very, very long list of what every task he was assigned to do was.

Of course, L saw the sunrise every morning due to the fact that he never slept longer than ten to twenty minutes a night. If that, for some nights he didn't sleep at all. His insomnia had worsened over the years, and dark, black bags had developed under his eyes.

Today was to be like any other, and from what L gathered, it was around five AM, so he quietly rose from his "bed" of a cotton sheet. With his back hunched over like it normally was, he strode calmly over to the window.

L didn't look at anything in particular, he never did. Looking out that window had just become daily routine. Sometimes he wondered if he was searching for something, every time he looked out that window. Or was he silently praying? The raven didn't know, and he didn't bother to do any soul searching to find the answer.

But L did do something out of the ordinary today; he gazed upon himself in the broken, cracked mirror that hung on the west wall of the basement. His bare feet treaded lightly over the broken wooden floor to the pale, dusty glass.

The ebony-haired man didn't know what drew him over to the mirror, but he couldn't help staring at the figure looking back at him. His wild nest of black hair sticking out at all ends. His pale, ghost-like skin that glistened in the sun's orange and red rays; his black eyes that to him always held a cold expression, and Mello had repeatedly told him that as well. Thin eyebrows, the dark bags, extremely skinny, and everything else that made him him...

L heard himself verbally sigh. He knew he wasn't good looking, but what did he expect? He never really cared about his appearance, and that is why he never bothered to look in a mirror. To L, those that cared too much about what they looked like became shallow human beings, caring about nothing other that minor trivialities. But now, here he was, looking at himself, and he felt his stomach churn with disdain, and he closed his eyes, trying to banish of the image of himself from his mind.

Quiet footsteps made their way down the basement stairs, and L didn't open his eyes. He knew who it was.

"Mello...isn't it a bit early for you to be up?" The insomniac called quietly.

The footsteps stopped, and Mello turned towards L, whose back was to him. "How'd you know it was me? I can tell your eyes are closed since I see you in that mirror..."

"I can recognize your pattern of movement just by sound. You have a quiet walk, you don't press too hard on the floor. And besides, Misa stomps around like a wild animal." L said with a small smirk.

"Heh. Yeah, that's true", Mello shook his head while thinking of his terrible sister, who was still snoring away upstairs" You...you were looking in the mirror?"

"Hmm...Yes, I've bet you've never seen me do that, right?"

"No..."

"I do not plan on doing it at any more any time soon, to be honest." L solemnly stated, opening his eyes and turning towards his step-brother.

"Aw, come on L! I think you look fine." The blonde exclaimed. "Really! You've got that whole 'I'm-so-Goth-but-I-don't-give-a-damn look going for you!"

"..." L just stared at the other male, and shook his head, "Sometimes I never really understand you, Mello."

"Hey, you're not the first person to tell me that, L." Mello chuckled, then stopped, "...You should believe me though; you aren't unattractive."

"Thank you for the compliment Mello, but there are some things I cannot believe."

"...Do you...Do you believe in me? That I can fix this?"

L gazed at his brother, whose bright blue eyes were gazing at the floor. This question did not surprise L in the least; Mello had asked it multiple times over the years. The blonde had always shown guilt for L's predicament, and he had sworn to the younger man that he would make it up to him. That no matter how long it took, L would be freed somehow, someway.

The raven walked up to Mello, and, much to the other's surprise, embraced him. The blonde gasped at the showing of affection; L had become so cold and distant to everyone over the past fourteen years, so cold in fact that he sometimes barely recognized him.

"Mello...you should not burden yourself with this. I accepted it a long time ago."

"But L-"

"You say you are sorry for what happened, and I believe you. I probably would have reacted the same way you did back then. And you know that there is little you can now. But your concern is heartwarming." L quietly, but monotonously, stated.

The ebony-haired man left the embrace much to Mello's disdain, and turned to the window.

"It is about time I started my daily rounds. Misa requested the floor be cleaned this morning." L calmly walked over to the plastic bucket and shaggy mop that resided near the stairs, and picked them up with his unique grip of only his index finger and thumb. He paid no mind to Mello digging around in his leather pants pocket for something.

"L, catch." The blonde called just as L was about to walk up to the first floor, and the younger male dropped the mop to catch a chocolate bar that was thrown his way.

"...Thank you Mello." A small smile graced the servant's lips, a smile that was rarely seen these days.

"Hey, no prob. Just eat it before Misa gets up, 'kay? Or she'll have a major hissy fit."

L nodded and quietly ascended the stairs, leaving Mello in the basement.

The chocolate-addict took out another bar of the sweet, biting into it roughly as his hard gaze wavered over his brother's living quarters. The small basement was dimly lit by only one light bulb hanging from the ceiling. A broken down refrigerator and television stood in one corner; piles of old, ratty clothes in another. The living space was a mixture of old and new objects, just like their time period. But the dirt and dust that made a habitat out of the room, and it was surprising that L could actually survive down there. He felt his anger rise as wonderful memories of the past came back to haunt him.

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_"Mello! Come play with me! Pleeeasse!"_

_"Alright, but don't lose the ball this time, okay?"_

_"'Kay!"_

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

_"Did you steal that chocolate that was on my dresser?!" _

_"Noo..."_

_"L, you've got a smudge of chocolate on your fast. And you suck at lying."_

_"Aww..."_

_A sigh, then, "Hey, if you ever want a piece, just ask, alright? You are the only one I'd share with anyway. And I better teach you how to lie, okay? Or you won't get anywhere!"_

_"...Awesome."_

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

_"Mello, why does Misa hate me?" A four-year old L asked as Mello tucked him in for the night. Naomi had come down with another cold, so Mello was asked to take care of his little brother._

_"'Cause she's a flipping idiot, that's why. She's just jealous because you're so smart, and because Mom really loves you.."_

_"...She is?"_

_"Uh-huh. But don't let her bother you, okay? Because I don't hate you."_

_"Thanks, Melly."_

_"Hey, kid, how many times have I told you not to call me that!"_

_"...Once?"_

_"Oh, yeah?!" Mello tackled the younger boy, playfully wrestling with him and tousling his raven-locks._

_"Mello-stop! You know...you know I'm ticklish! HAHA!"_

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

Mello sighed despondently; thinking back on how it used to be depressed him to no means. And every time he came down those rickety stairs, another more painful memory haunted him.

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_"L! L, I'm sorry! Please, listen to me!"_

_"NO! How could you do that?! You didn't stand up for me; you just let her throw that into the fire! Why?!"_

_"L, please, forgive me! I-"_

_"You what?! Want me to be your servant too?!" The child screamed._

_"No! How can you say that?! You know I love you, you're my brother!" Mello most likely would have never admitted he loved L because that just wasn't his personality, but he did. And it was a true feeling; he did love his little brother. He couldn't stand what had happened, and the guilt bubbling up in him made him feel like slime, like dirt._

"You liar! Hehe...that's something you were always good at, lying."

_"L, this time I'm not-"_

_"Get out! Leave me alone!" Tears flowed like a rain shower down the pale, bony cheeks._

_"But-"  
_

_"I hate you, get out of here!"_

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

Mello could feel his own tears wallowing up again. Thinking of L saying all that to him wounded him deeply. L had started to forgive me awhile ago, for Mello tried everything he could with the little power he had to make L happy. But it was difficult when his sister would order him to push, kick, or punch L, or order him around like a dog. But every time he did one of those things, he would quietly go to his younger brother and apologize profusely.

_But does it help...? He doesn't hate me, but...it still doesn't help him or me..._

If you were to ask if Mello was guilty, he would say "yes, and are you a freaking idiot?! What kind of question is that?!" or at least something along those lines. But what hurt the most was that L...wasn't L anymore.

The young, bouncy boy that he remembered was no more. Sure, L had kept to himself when he was younger, quietly spending most of his time reading, studying or painting or observing nature. Or even following the crimes in the town by reading the newspaper! But he was talkative, too, and he usually had something to say or comment on. But most of all, L smiled. Not a lot, but enough to show that he was happy. And he would show enthusiasm whenever he discovered something, or when he asked Mello to play or hang out with him. 

_And now...he's just a shell of his former self! Never smiling, never happy... _Mello screamed in his head, and in frustration, punched the wall on his right with great strength.

_Damn you Misa...for hurting him so much... you'll get yours someday...I swear L, I'll stand beside you...I'll make sure you're set free..._

It was a silent oath he made to himself, and it was one Mello planned to keep.

OooOOoooOOOoooOOOOo

About twenty miles north of Kanto, the large Yagami residence, the large castle to be precise, shimmered in the morning sunrise. The rays from the large ball of fire shone through the library's stained glass window, creating a spectrum of beautiful colors on the carpeted floor and the giant walls, filled with enormous bookshelves lined with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of books of all sorts.

Here was where Raito Yagami sat in the early morning hours, in a comfortable plush chair next to the large windows, reading the classic Shakespeare story of _Julius Caesar_. The light shone off his auburn locks and his chocolate brown eyes, and many a woman (or man) would say he looked gorgeous and deserved to be painted or eternally immortalized in some other way in that position.

Raito had woken up an hour ago, and found himself unable to return to his peaceful state of slumber. It wasn't a surprise, though, he figured he was too stressed out; so he quickly showered, and after dressing in a set of black pants and a black button-up shirt, he had strode to his peaceful sanctuary of the family library.

Now, though, the words of the classic tale of betrayal and murder began to blend together, and the young twenty-one year old snapped the book shut with a sigh. The past few weeks had been very difficult for him. That was because of one, well two, people: his parents.

Sochiro and Sachiko Yagami had been trying to get their son married off during the recent days due to him coming of age, and him now being able to take over for his father, and it was driving Raito to the brink of insanity. Every day, they would invite over a princess or noble woman to the castle, and Raito would put on that fake smile, fake charm, and spend time with the girl, and "woo" her; and every time, he would tell his parents a big fat "no" when it came to ever seeing the girl again.

Sure, the brunette admitted many of the women were attractive, but it wasn't enough for him. The young price had exceptional intelligence, and he was not going to waist it on some girl who only wanted him for his body, money, or some other item. And yes, some of those girls were even somewhat intelligent, but not enough for his standards.

And sadly, Raito's standards, as well as his cockiness, were pretty high. The young man was quite prideful, childish, and hated losing any battle, be it even a small argument and it hurt how he was looked at around the kingdom. Many men and older women though of him as a snobbish man, who would not be fit to rule over them one day; others thought he would be fine, but needed to step down a level, and think of others first. While these were the basic thoughts of the nobles and peasants, the servants and slaves detested and loathed the prince. He would, one day, have the power to change how they were treated, but Raito's attitude towards them was one of disgust and resentment; he though they were too beneath him to care about.

Raito wouldn't change himself though; he didn't care what others said about him. He would stay the way he was: a popular, charismatic, and intelligent man. It especially didn't matter to him the opinions of the servants and slaves that wafted about the land. The brunette thought nothing of these lowly men and women, and figured they most likely deserved the treatment they received, and therefore, no changes would be made.

_I really wish my parents would stop trying to hook me up with every girl they run into though... _

The silence was broken with heavy footsteps sounding out through the hallway, but they stopped suddenly, and Raito turned to see his old friend Matt standing in the library doorway.

"Wow, you're up early. **Again**." The red-head stated with a chuckle, "You seem...stressed. Better be careful, or you'll start to age very quickly!" Another chuckle.

"You know me well, don't you?" The brunette returned as he rose from his seat to join the other in the hall.

"Yes, I do." Matt replied as he took out a cigarette and lit it gracefully. The two began a trek down the massive hallway.

"So...where are we going?" Raito asked his companion.

"The great room on the second floor. Got something to show you."

"Really? Oh boy, what now..." The brunette shook his head in resignation.

"Don't worry!" Matt proclaimed, "It's not **that** scary; at least in my opinion. You, on the other hand..."

The prince laughed at his friend's remark, and he knew why this man had become his best friend. They actually seemed to agree on most things and they're ideals and hobbies didn't clash, Matt was fairly intelligent, and most of all, he wasn't annoying or troublesome like many of the women he met.

The two had met years ago, when Raito had been five. Matt, born the name Mail Jeevas, had been the son of a well-known noble family from a neighboring kingdom, and he and Raito had met when the Jeevas family had come to visit. They instantly clicked as friends, and it hurt the young Yagami son when his new companion had to leave. The brunette never had that many friends; it just wasn't something that happened with the children of royalty.

But when Matt showed up on his doorstep ten days later, Raito was, one, shocked, but also very happy indeed. The king told his son gravely that Matt's parents had been murdered by bandits, and possibly escaped convicts. The red-head had escaped the attack by running away from the scene and alerting a neighbor. Word had spread like wildfire that the Jeevas family was killed, and the news had spread to Kisamari, and right to Sochiro Yagami, who instantly ordered the Jeevas' son come live with the royal family. The two families had been very close, and since Matt was one of Raito's friends, the royal leader decided there would be no harm in taking the child in; he felt he somewhat owed it to his late friends as well.

So for the past sixteen years, Matt had been living comfortably in the Yagami castle, reaping the benefits. But he wasn't as smug and prideful as his best friend, but the red-head was a quiet guy; so even when he felt Raito acted wrongly, he usually never tried to correct him. It actually would be like talking to a brick wall in his opinion.

They had finally arrived at the enormous sitting room, and Matt proudly paraded over to the bay window that out looked the royal gardens. With a nod of his head towards Raito, the prince sighed, and followed the man, and stood next to him, an impatient expression plastered on his face.

"Now, for this morning's entertainment." Matt called and pulled the large, red rope that was tied to the velvet curtains donning the window. The drapery fell away elegantly and revealed...

"Oh my God, it's Raito!"

"EEK! Marry me, Raito-sama!"

"I love you! Oh my God, yes I do!"

"I want to have your babies!!"

"Come here and get some, Raito-sama!"

"SQUEEL!"

Raito's mouth dropped open and he slowly backed away. **Another** fan girl mob? Wow, was this getting old! Every other morning, for some reason, a giant mob of screaming women, made up of nobles and peasants, would somehow enter the premises and wait for Raito to appear. Where were the royal guards!? Someone should definitely fire them, in Raito's opinion.

Matt, meanwhile, jumped in front of the window, and waved politely to the screaming women below him.

"Ugh...he's not Raito!"

"Who's that?! We want Raito!"

"He's cute, but I don't want to have **his **children..."

"Uh...no."

Matt sighed, and turned to his distraught friend, "Sometimes, I do wish I was you."

"Hehe...like hell you do. Trust me; you wouldn't want thousands of mentally insane women after you, and begging you to let them be the mother of your child."

"Not even if they were beautiful women?"

"..." Raito shook his head and went to the curtain, closing it. This had to be dealt with. Now. So the young prince went over to the intercom that was in the room, and screamed one word:

"RYUK!"

_Uh, oh...someone's going to go through male PMS... _Matt concluded, and to alleviate the problem that was to come, the red-head took out his portable game system and ear buds. Turning on the system, he sat on a pristine white couch, blocking out the noise and fireworks that were to come.

A moment later, a lanky man appeared in the doorway. Dressed entirely in a gothic outfit and a pale white face to match, bright yellow eyes, and along with spiky dark crowning his wide forehead, many could mistake the man for a ghost or a reaper. But no, it was Ryuk, the head of the king's army, and now personal bodyguard to Raito Yagami. Ryuk was head of the army for a good reason: he had the amazing ability to take out the opposition quickly and efficiently. He had a knack for predicting the other's movements, and could plan a quick, but most of the time painful, death to the enemy's armies. Many knew him by the nick-name "Ryuk the Death God"; this was not only for his 'talent' but he also carried around a black notebook that he would write the names of those who were to be put in jail or sentenced to death in it for whatever crime they committed. It was an easy way to keep track of those who went against the king's wishes.

But, in all truth, Ryuk was a fairly normal person. But he became bored easily, and that was why he was assigned to watch over Raito; the young man always entertained him in various ways. Also, he had an addiction to apples for some strange, unfathomable reason, and so a healthy stock of them was always kept in the castle walls.

"You **bellowed** your highness?" The older man asked with a wheezy laugh.

"Ryuk, come look at this." Raito walked back over to the window, his back to it, and pulled the curtain's rope. Ryuk, curious to see what the younger man was in such a huff about, turned towards the window.

"OH HELL YEAH! WHAT AN ASS, BABY!"

"Woohoo! Shake it, Raito-sama! Shake **it**!"

"I'd TAP that! Hell, I'd tap that if he was DRUNK!"

"WHERE'S MY CAMERA?!"

"OH GOD...WOULD OUR KIDS HAVE THAT NICE OF AN ASS?!"

"SQUEEEL!!"

Raito quickly closed the curtain, and a group "Aww" sounded out from below. The prince ignored it though, for a twitch was developing in his left eye.

"Sooo...what do you want me to do about them, Raito-sama?" The bodyguard asked with a crooked smile.

"Get. Rid. Of. Them. **NOW**."

"...With this?" Ryuk held up his trademark notebook.

"NO! Don't kill them or send them to jail, just get rid of them! And make sure they don't come back!"

"...Are you-"

"Yes, I'm sure! Please just do your job!" Raito screamed, his tan face becoming a bright red with anger.

"Fine." Ryuk sighed, and he walked towards the door from which he had appeared. But he stopped, and turned towards Matt, who'd now taken off his small ear buds, now that the screaming and whining was over.

"What's his problem?" The dark male whispered.

"...Really, I've been wondering the same thing, Ryuk-san."

"Maybe he just needs to get laid?"

"Yeah, most likely. But the thing is, that would be so easy for him. Didn't you see the hoard of women out there?!"

"Yeah, but he's so picky!"

Matt nodded, "Yeah, he'll never get anything at this rate. Never has and never-"

"Will you two shut up!? I can hear you!" Raito shouted at the gossiping pair, and ran a hand through his auburn locks, "Seriously, you two are really close to crossing the line; you're talking about my sex-life for God's sake!"

Matt and Ryuk glanced at each other as if to say "Do you want this one, or will I say it?" In the end, Matt nodded, he figured less harm would come to him if **he** said it, and opened his mouth to say:

"What-"

"Onii-chan!!" A scream interrupted Matt's biting remark, and Sayu Yagami bounced into the large room happily.

"Sayu? What are you doing up this early?" The young Yagami son questioned his sister with confusion and wariness in his tone.

"Well... I was talking with Okaa-san earlier, and now I was on my way to the restroom down the hall when I heard someone talking about your sex-life, so I wanted to join in on the fun! And look! Matty and Ryukie are here too!" The fifteen year old hugged the red-head with a broad, shining smile, and then made her way over to the bodyguard, who tensed up at the display of affection.

Raito felt that damn twitch become deeper, and his tan, masculine hands curled into fists.

"Sayu...leave. NOW. I'm not in the mood for this."

"Aw, Raito! Come on! Really, you know what they are saying is true! You really need to get your freak-"

"Alright! That's enough! My sex-life and sexuality is not something that should be discussed so openly, especially by my baby sister and my bodyguard!"

"...Well, we weren't discussing your **sexuality**, to be precise," Matt stated firmly, "But now that you mention it, I've been having doubts about some things..."

"Matty, don't you know of the whole dresses incident? Raito was three and he got caught trying to wear my mother's dresses and jewelry and-"

"Sayu, shut up!" The brunette knew he face was heating up and he turned away from the trio.

"Ooh..." Ryuk trailed off, "So that's why the king and queen think he might be...um...not straight."

"You mean gay?" Matt offered.

"Uh-huh. I mean, I've always heard the rumors, and the fact that Raito doesn't go for these women-"

"EVERYONE OUT. NOW!" The scream startled the two men and the young girl, and the red-head and gothic-looking male fled the scene. Sayu, though, inched away slowly, for she had one more thing to tell her brother.

"Oh...Raito?"

"WHAT?!"

"Um...Okaa-san wanted me to inform you that another garden party is scheduled for tomorrow."

"What? Again?" The prince sighed despondently, and shook his head. Twice a month, every month for the past three months, his mother had sent out invitations to the noble women in villages that were scattered across the kingdom, inviting them for a garden celebration. This was a chance for Raito to "meet a young lady to marry", and the brunette hated these events with a passion. Giggling women, an overload of sweets and tea, oh yes, those two things just made Raito's day!

"What village is it this time?" The young male asked as he rested his head against a wall, decorated with a picture of himself and his family.

"Um...the village of Kanto, I believe."

"Wonderful! I get to meet a bunch of insane women tomorrow too!" Sarcasm boiled oozed and flowed like a witch's brew from the youth's mouth.

"Aw, come on, Raito! You'll meet someone soon! And then mother and father won't bother you so much about it. And maybe, if you're lucky, some sexy **men **will show up tomorrow!"

When Raito screamed at the top of his lungs, the princess knew it was time to flee.

OooOOOoOOOoooOOOOo

In the village of Kanto, however, there was another scream being emitted. This one a joyous one, however, and it was coming from Misa.

L was coming downstairs, he had just completed the chore of scrubbing the bathroom on the third floor, and he was just in time to see a black car pull away from the home.

"What was that about?" He turned towards his sister, a bored expression on his face.

"Hmph. I get to meet the prince tomorrow! He's holding a garden party, and I'm invited!" The bubbly blonde squealed again as she clutched a parcel to her chest.

The raven just blinked and decided to ignore the whole spectacle, and with a sigh, he headed towards the kitchen, ready to tackle his next job.

"You're coming to, you know." Misa called as her "brother" exited the room.

The comment made L stop in his tracks, and he turned back towards the woman in the other room.

"What?" The younger being asked, a look of incredulity on his face.

"You're coming. I need someone to look after my things while I'm there, and you can wait on me. You know, make yourself useful?"

"...So, I'm going just to be your servant there? So you can embarrass me?"

"Pretty much!" Misa answered with a smile, "But I won't embarrass you!"

_Much..._ Was the thought that crossed both of their minds simultaneously.

"Fine. It really doesn't matter to me." L answered and he headed back towards the kitchen.

In all honesty, though, L figured he had something to look forward to. At least now, he would have a chance to get out of this dreadful place for a little while. And who knows? Maybe he'd get lucky and actually meet someone higher up, someone that could help him. Perhaps not the prince, but wow, that would be something to actually meet him. L didn't have a strong opinion of the man, for he didn't know him that well. Of course, he had heard he was handsome and intelligent, but other than that, not much else. Meeting him would be a once in a life-time experience, and L could get a firm opinion on the man. L wondered what the man thought of servitude too, and if he would change it.

_He is the future of this land after all...maybe, somehow, he could change things..._

Oh, poor naive L. Raito **was **going to change things, for him specifically. And poor Raito too, for he didn't know he would be changing things. But all that was not to happen until another sunrise would pass...

_OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

A/N: Well, hoped you enjoyed meeting Raito! If he seems a little OOC or crazy during the story, well, sorry about that. But I'll try to keep him in character.

Reviews are welcome, and I hope you enjoy what's to come! :)


	3. Meeting Among the Chaos

A/N: Hello again

A/N: Hello again! Yes, I know I said that I really wasn't sure when I'd get to updating this fic, but I'm really into it at the moment! :D So, here's chapter 3! Please enjoy!

OoOoOOOOoOOOoooOOooOOOooo

_The way to read a fairy tale is to throw yourself in._

_- W.H. Auden. (Poet: 1907-1973) _

_OOOoooOOOOooO OooOOoooOOOoooOOOOo_

The next day came all too quickly for Raito. The young man had heard the royal cars leave the grounds early that morning, on their way to pick up the women that would be attending the event that early afternoon.

With a large sigh, the prince turned away from the window in his large bedroom. He had been watching the servants of the Yagami household set up for the event, placing tables and chairs all around the royal garden. Decorations consisting of flowers, statues, and other novelties adorned the bushes and trees.

Raito smiled as one of his favorite servants, Emi, had finished her job of decorating and walked away, exiting through the large iron gate that served as a lone entryway to the grounds. The prince actually thought the woman had done a good job, and even though he was dreading what was to come, it was nice to see some effort being made for him.

But, Raito was usually happy with the royal servants and what they did. In all honesty, the brunette did not mind the people that worked for him and his family. He respected them, and they were treated very well. They had they own living quarters, and were dressed in fairly decent clothing. Raito knew his opinion was hypocritical, but it could not be helped; who were they, the people who disliked him and his ideas, to decide who he could and could not like? So what if he disliked the normal, dirty servants, and fairly enjoyed the company of the ones who worked for him and his family?

Brushing those thoughts from his mind, the young Yagami son elegantly exited his room, dressed in a white button up shirt and black slacks. The celebration wasn't until noon, and it was only ten, leaving two hours to spare. The young man decided to head towards the library again, his one place of solitude in the hell-hole known as his life, but was stopped when he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

"Hey! There's the lucky man!"

"Oh, shut up Matt." Raito shook his head and began walking away from the red-head.

"Wow, someone's in a bad mood."

"You think? Did you really, and I mean, really and earnestly think, I would be excited for this?"

"Hehe...nope, and that's why I'm going to help you!" Matt proclaimed with a glistening smile.

"...You're going to do what?"

"Help you. What, are you going deaf now?" Matt teased, but his joking smile faded when Raito flashed a demon-like glare his way.

"...How? And wait, why?"

"Duh, I'm your best friend, you idiot. As to the 'how' part, just trust me. I'm going to make sure you don't have to spend all day down there with the "Giggling Gretchens" and "Moronic Marys".

"...No one will die, right?" Raito asked warily.

"You have no trust in me, is that it?"

"..."The silence vibrated off the castle walls.

With a pregnant sigh, Matt stated calmly, "No, no one will die. Or get hurt either. Trust me, okay. Look, just relax. This will go like all the other galas, parties, crap, damning events, etcetera, alright? Just calm down, and don't throw any food at anybody, okay? You can do this."

"...Thanks for the, um "motivation"." The brunette said with a smirk as he walked away from his friend.

"Anytime, Raito." Matt called as he headed in the opposite direction, and Raito heard the red-head's boots pounding down the steps a moment later.

_God help me...and him too..._ Raito sighed as the thought crossed his mind, and he settled into a comfortable loveseat, after pulling the famous play _Romeo and Juliet_ from a high shelf. Normally, he wouldn't have read the play, he liked it, but it was just too romantic for him in some ways, but for some odd reason, he had been drawn to the story today, out of all days, and sighed despondently again as the tale of romance and star-crossed lovers came to life before his very eyes.

OOoOOoOOOOOOOOoooOoo OoOoOOOO

L shouldn't have been there. He shouldn't have been in the backseat of that large, black Mercedes, which was driving to the Yagami household's castle. He should have been at home, cleaning, cooking, and or doing any other crap but this.

Instead, the raven was listening to his gothic Lolita stepsister giggling and laughing on her cell phone in the front seat. The young woman was talking to her best friend Kiyomi Takada, who was also on her way to the event.

"I can't believe it, Kiyomi! We're going to get to meet the prince! SQUEE! Maybe he'll fall in love with one of us!"

Whatever hopes L had for the afternoon were beginning to melt away like ice in the summer. He realized that he would be spending the whole day with screaming women, begging to see their "Precious Raito" and possibly** touch **him, **hold** him, or even...gasp...**kiss** him!

It made L want to vomit repeatedly, preferably all over Misa.

Now, L was beginning to think the prince was nothing but a womanizer, or a player, if the sight of Kanto's women screaming at the top of their lungs when the cars had arrived earlier showed anything. This afternoon was most likely going to drag on forever.

...And it did!

They arrived at the castle about an hour after leaving Kanto, and when Misa's car had pulled up, and L stepped out, the guards shot both of them a dirty look, saying slaves weren't allowed at the celebration. But Misa, to the ebony-haired man's horror, put on the "cute" charm, begging the men to let L stay.

"He'll be good! I promise! He's only here to serve me and my friends! PLEEEASE?"

_What am I? A dog...? _Was what L wanted to say, but instead gave the men a cold, blank stare.

They relented, and L soon found himself sitting at a table, surrounded by chirping women, cups of tea, and a mountain of small sandwiches and sweets (all of which the blonde girl prohibited him from eating).

But peace was not to inhabit this young man for very long. Misa began ordering him to serve the women at the table the food and drink, and of course the raven had to oblige, even though the humiliation was brutal; thankfully, humiliation was one emotion that he had learned to conquer.

It had been almost a half hour since everyone had arrived, but the prince had yet to shown his face. L hypothesized the young man was stalling, which could mean he actually wasn't a Lothario, a woman-loving and using man. Or maybe he was just lazy? L pondered all this as he held one of the young women's purses as she searched for her makeup.

"L." Misa called in a commanding tone.

The young man didn't bother to respond vocally, he just shot the blonde girl an angry look.

"Can you go get Kiyomi and me some flowers?"

"...Can I ask why?"

"Duh! We're going to put them in our hair so when the prince arrives, we will look beautiful! And don't give me those kinds of looks!"

L softened his gaze, and looked around the garden. Hundreds of flowers were everywhere, of all colors, sizes and breeds.

"Can't you just use the ones here?"

An eruption of giggles filled table and L shook his head somberly.

"No, you idiot!! These are decorations, and the prince would be mad if they got disturbed! Go down to that hill over there and get us some, and hurry!" Misa ordered.

L wordlessly left the table, and then the garden as he exited the gate. The hill Misa had pointed to wasn't far, and he quickly walked off.

Yes, this afternoon wasn't going to be memorable at all...

OoOoOOOOoOOOoooOOooOOOooo

Even though he didn't know it, L's hypothesis was correct: Raito **was** stalling. He had taken a quick survey from around the castle corner at the women, and fear had struck him like an arrow. These women...well; quite frankly, they seemed to be the worst group of insane fan girls he had encountered yet. Many were dressed quite nicely, but another many were wearing homemade T-shirts with provocative sayings about him and his "hotness". This group had also been screaming like banshees and talking of nothing but him. Now, out of pure fear for his own life and safety, Raito Yagami was not going to move from that corner of the castle wall.

A quick tap on the shoulder scared the twenty-one year old, but it turned out to be just Matt...with an odd box in his hands.

"So, how do they look?" A devilish grin sprang from the red-head.

"Do you think I would be sitting here if I thought it would be okay for me to go out there?!"

"Ah, I figured that. See, that's where I come in." The red-head turned around and opened the box, and began to rustle through it.

"What are-"

"Shut up and turn around. Oh, and close your eyes too." Matt ordered the man next to him.

"...Fine." The brunette did as he was told, with a shake of his head of course, but obliged his best friend.

"'Kay. It's cool. You can look." A reply came a moment later, and Raito faced his friend. He felt his mouth drop open at the sight.

Matt had a brown wig on similar to the prince's own hair, and his once beautiful blue eyes had become a chocolate brown. He was still dressed in his traditional striped shirt, and a cigarette was jetting out from his pink lips.

"Oh my God..." Raito sighed, and put his head in his hands.

"Oh, that's what I get? No "thank you" or anything?"

"...Disguising yourself to look like me is your best plan? Really?!"

"Look, Raito, do you want a repeat of the Osaka incident? Do I need to remind you of what happened?"

"Um..." Flashbacks of women charging him, tearing off his clothes, kissing him, and nearly raping him filled his mind, "No."

"Exactly! That's why this is sure to work!" Matt exclaimed with much pride.

"...I-"

"Look, Ryuk's going to help me too. He'll make it seem like I'm the real you, since they all probably know you have a bodyguard. Ryuk!" Matt had turned around and ran to the other end of the wall, and whispered the older man's name.

The gothic man appeared and turned to the other two, "Yeah, what? Are you ready to do this or not?"

Raito sighed again (wow, he'd been doing that a lot recently) but a small smile graced his muscular face.

"Alright, go on and do this. But if we get caught...you know there will be hell to pay from my parents."

"Good, now take off!" Matt ordered.

"Well, where do you actually think I should **go**?" The brunette countered.

"Um...just...go down that hill! And just go into the woods once you're down there, alright? Now go!"

"Oh, see, I was right! You really didn't think this thro-"

"Hello, ladies!" Matt had ignored the last biting comment, and had turned the corner, Ryuk following him. What came next was an eruption of screams and squeals, and "Ohmygaws" and shouts of "RAITO!!"

That was the prince's cue to hightail it out of there, and he did, quietly sneaking down the hill at first, then breaking into a run once he heard the joyous screaming escalate.

_This might actually work...it might-?!_

Of course, Raito spoke to soon, for at that moment, he ran into something...or someone? It was hard to tell, but whatever the case, at that moment, the young prince found himself tumbling down the hill like a runaway barrel, the firm ground hard and hitting his body with much force. Rocks and dust clung to his hair, and he closed his eyes so nothing would intrude upon them, and would cause pain. Before he did though, he shot a look to his left, and whatever he was running into was falling just like he was.

The "ride" stopped once Raito reached the base of the hill. The young Yagami sat up and rubbed his head, trying to stop the aching pain that was coming forth; his anger boiled too, as he turned to the cause of his pain, who was seated not two, three feet away.

"What the hell? Watch where your-"

Raito stopped though, as he got a good look at the other person. It was a man, a young man; he had to be not older than twenty. Wild, crazy black hair framed his face and jetted out in a multitude of directions. The man was clothed in a simple outfit of faded jeans and a white long-sleeve shirt. His skin was pale, very pale, almost like snow, and a bony hand was gently caressing his head.

The ebony-haired man turned to him, and wide, dark orbs met Raito head on. Then, whoever this person was, opened his mouth and bowed before Raito in humbleness.

"Y-Your highness! Please, I did not mean to run into you and cause you harm. I was just sitting there, and, I should not have been, so please forgive me!"

His voice was a low monotone, and even though he was worried about was to happen, according to the words he had just spoken, his eyes held little, if not no emotion.

Raito, to his surprise, couldn't find the ability to speak. For the first time in his life, he could not find the words to say to someone. Instead, he just openly stared and gaped at the man before him, and he felt his head tilt to the side, as a curious child would do.

"Your highness, say something!" The man moved closer to him and the brunette felt his heart pick up speed, "Did I hurt you so much that you cannot speak?"

"Um...no." _Nice Raito, real nice, so how __**articulate **__you are! All those hours spent reading in the library were for nothing, weren't they?! _

The young man next to him let out a sigh, and then blinked, as if a realization had just dawned on him "If I may ask your highness, why were you running down that hill? Are you not supposed to be at the party?"

"Uh..." With that statement, Raito was brought back to reality. That, and what came next from up above him in the garden scared the crap out of him:

"HEY! HE'S NOT RAITO!!"

"IMPOSTER!!"

"OHMYGOD! It's that weird red-headed kid that wears those freaky goggles!!"

"GET HIM!"

"KILL HIM!"

"AAGGGHHH!"

Screams of anger and rage blasted above the two men, and without thinking, Raito grabbed the other man's hand.

"Wha? Your High-"

"Just come with me, alright? We've got to get out of here!"

Raito ran as fast as he could, the forest's entrance in his sights. He had a firm grip on the other man's hand, and he didn't plan on letting go. For some odd reason, Raito felt he shouldn't let this man get caught up in the shit that was about to hit the fan up at that party; normally though, he probably would have sacrificed any person to the "lambs".

_So what makes him different...? Why-Why did I just grab him and pull him away from harm...?_ Was what the brunette pondered as they arrived at their destination.

OOOoooOOOOooO OoOOoOooOoOOoo

Both men sat beneath a large pine tree, the cold grass and silence a comfort to their tired souls. They were out of breath and panting hard and somewhat flushed from their latest "adventure".

"T...Thank you, your highness. Am I to assume it could have been dangerous for myself if I had stayed where I was?"

"Y...Yes. Or at least, I think so. Have you ever seen a crazy mob of fan girls before?"

A small laugh came from the raven-haired man, "Well, yes, I have."

The prince smiled and was about to speak up when the other man gave a polite cough.

"Hm? What is it?"

"Um..." The dark-eyed male nodded towards Raito's hand, which was still twined together with the pale man's. With an awkward gasp and a slight blush, Raito released the hold, and in some ways, he missed the warmth that hand had given him.

"So...can I at least now the name of who I saved from that insane mob?"

The wild-haired man let out a small gasp, and looked away, as if he was hesitant to give his name. Which, in all honesty, he was.

"...L."

"Hm? Did you say...L?"

"Yes, my name is L."

Raito blinked at the odd name, but someone, he figured it suited the man, "Just L? Nothing else? No family name or-"

"I just go by L. That is what you can call me your highness." Truthfully, L did not want to tell Raito that he had been a Lawliet, since there was no proof of it.

"Oh, that's fine. Can I ask you something L? What were you doing up there?"

"Oh, I came here with my sister...you know, to watch out for her and do things for her? She had wanted me to pick some flowers for her." It wasn't a lie, and L assumed that Raito could tell he was a servant.

"Ah, I know that feeling. Sisters...so...why did you come here dressed like that? Someone like you...would they really wear clothes like that to a party?"

_What?! Does he not realize I'm...not of higher blood?_ L was internally confused, but he did not let it show. And he was correct; Raito could not tell that he was a servant. This was because apart from those that worked for the Yagami household, Raito had never **seen **an actual run-of-the-mill servant. Whatever he thought of them had been based on what he had been taught to believe, by others and through his own mind: that servants were dirty beings beneath him, and that **only **those that were specially chosen to work for the Yagamis were the exception.

L decided to answer honestly, replying with "I just find these types of clothes more comfortable Your Highness."

"Hehe...lucky you. I guess you don't have to dress up all the time, huh?"

"I suppose not, Your Highness."

"Hey, enough with this "Your Highness" business! Just call me Raito-sama, alright?"

L inwardly gasped, surprised at the older man's remark, "A-Are you sure? I-"

"Look L, just call me that, please? All of that title and royalty crap just...annoys me."

"...Sure, Raito-sama." L, showing no emotion externally, was becoming quite nervous internally. Switching from "Your Highness" to "Raito-sama" indicated a more casual tone, which struck L as odd. He could understand the whole "annoying" thing but, truthfully, wouldn't any royalty want to be addressed as their title? Or was Raito just the exception?

"So L, who's your sister? The one you came with to this...**wonderful** celebration."

"Oh..." _Crap, is he trying to find out my last name?_ "Her name is Misa, Raito-sama. She...**we**...belong to the Misora household." _Lie...Lie...L, you idiot you just lied to the __**prince!**__ I can't say I'm part of the Misora household!_

"Hmm...So even though you are part of the household, you don't go by L Misora?"

"Oh, no! Just L, it's...more casual...and it..." L was trying to finish the story he was concocting, but finding it somewhat difficult.

"Sounds better?" The brunette offered

"Yes, it does, doesn't it?" L gave a small smile.

Raito nodded, a small smile glistening in the sunlight, and he let out a content sigh.

"Finally..." He whispered to himself.

"Oh? Something wrong, Raito-sama?"

The older man shook his head, "No. Far from it actually. It's just..." He trailed off, turning his gaze to the grass beneath his feet.

"Yes? What?" L scooted closer to the royal man, and the movement wasn't lost on Raito.

"Actually, it's just that I've finally met someone who doesn't try to molest me and rip off my clothes; it's a nice change of pace. Other than my best friend, of course."

The raven couldn't help but give a small laugh, "Of course. Yes, I would imagine it is a nice change."

"You actually seem like someone whom I can have an actual intelligent conversation with." Raito said wistfully, with a genuine content smile on his face.

"And I feel the same, actually. I can never find anyone who enjoys the literature I enjoy or the views I share. Tell, me Raito-sama, have you read the works of great men such as Shakespeare and Thoreau?"

"...Yes, I have. You mean-"

"I quite fancy the works of those two men especially," _Even though I haven't read the books in such a long time...Misa burned them when I was five, but Mello has snuck me some to read..._

"Men at some time are masters of their fate: Their fault, dear Brutus is-"

"Is not in our stars, but in ourselves. We are the underlings." Raito finished for him.

"Ah, _Julius Caesar_. A favorite of mine; you too Raito-sama?"

"Yes...not many people read him anymore. Too busy with their lives to even care anymore."

"Hai, Raito-sama. I feel the same way. I also follow much of the political intrigue that is spreading throughout our great kingdom, while my siblings see not to most of the time."

"Really? Can...can I have your opinion on some things? You know-just...for an idea of what someone else thinks?"

OoOoooOOOOOOOOOOoOOOOOOoo

The next two hours went by so quickly for both men, they wished it had gone on longer. They talked of future bills and laws, criminals that were plaguing the land, and the government itself. Topics such as favorite artists and writers, and poetry also came up, along with scientists, doctors, religions and moral beliefs. They even could talk about famous actors and actresses, and still they were not bored with each other! It amazed them how much they had in common with one another.

Raito turned to his watch, and seeing it was two-thirty, and said "Crap, I better get going. They've probably already been looking for me."

"Yes, I should get going as well," L calmly replied, getting up from his odd crouch, "My sister will give me hell if I don't make it back in time when the cars are to drive us home at three."

"So...Can I...um.." Raito trailed off, and he would never admit the reason out loud, but he just felt...somehow embarrassed with his request.

"Yes, Raito-sama?"

"If it's alright with you, can I see you again?"

"Um..." _Damn, he wants to see me again? I mean-I'm flattered, and he's a nice person, and I would love to see him again, but-_

"What, you're not a servant or something are you? Someone not of noble status?" Raito questioned, a serious look on his face.

"...Would that be a problem if I was?" L asked quietly.

"Yeah, it would. I can't associate with people like that. Don't you realize that servants are below me? I can't trust them, they're dirty, and...well, they're just not people I hang around with. I have a rep to uphold, and besides, they're usually uneducated and ugly and hanging around with them would just be boring, right?"

Raito's words cut through L like a knife, but he didn't show it, and just replied, "Yes, of course! Silly me, and of course I'm not one of them. Would I be at this party if I was?"

Raito laughed, "Yeah, you're right. Servants weren't allowed here today. And besides...you're too good looking to be someone of lower class." The brunette turned to hide his heated face.

_Why...Why did I just say that...And am I blushing...?! Oh...Oh God...He's probably going to freak out now..._

"Th-Thank you, Raito-sama. I...I am flattered. And yes, I would enjoy seeing you again. I do not have many friends due to my intelligence, and you seem like a very nice person indeed."

_Except for your narcissistic attitude towards the lower class, but maybe that can change..._

"Great! Then...how about tomorrow?" _Is that too eager...?!_

"...Yes, that would be fine with me. I am at the Misora household, do you know where it is?" _What the hell are you doing!? You were supposed to say no!!_

"In Kanto, right? That's who was here today? Don't worry, I can find your home. I'll just ask around for the Misora household once I get there. Or...maybe I'll just spot you. You do stand out in a crowd...in a good way though!"

L turned, for he felt a small blush springing forth, "I shall take that as a compliment, Raito-sama. Yes, tomorrow will be fine." He smiled as he began to walk away, "Parting is such sweet sorrow, isn't it, Raito-sama? Good afternoon to you then." And the ebony haired man headed up the hill.

Raito sunk to the ground, smiling. "Yes," He whispered to himself, "and I shall say good night till it be morrow."

_L...I need to know more about you...and I will find out more come tomorrow afternoon..._

Little did Raito know that L, as he walked away, was filled with much dread. He had lied, told an outright lie, to the prince of Kisamari. He could be killed for this! What happened?! Was...it just because this man had seen past his appearance and had actually talked to him like a human being that made L happy and want to see him again? Did he take advantage of Raito not knowing what an actual servant looked like?!

Well, anyway, L was scared, but excited as well. But maybe he could pull this off, and eventually tell the brunette man the truth. He was going to need some help, though. Perhaps Mello? It was worth a shot...

For now, though, he would have to put up with Misa screaming in his ear about cake getting all over her new black Lolita dress. It seems a food fight had broken out among the chaos from before...

But it somehow didn't bother him. Just thinking of tomorrow made it better...

OoOoooOOOOooOOOoo

Oooh...L told a BIG lie, people. Get the summary now? About the "lie-filled ride"? Oh boy, this is gonna be big...

Anyway, hope you enjoyed that! More to come, and those who leave reviews get cookies!! :D


	4. The First Non Date

A/N: OMG, look

A/N: OMG, look! It' another quick update! YAY! :D Thanks go out to all who read and reviewed last time, and here is chapter 4 for Ya!

OOOOoooOOOoooooooooOOOOOo

_Only those who truly love and who are truly_

_strong can sustain their lives as a dream. You dwell in your own_

_enchantment. _

_- Ben Okri, Author_

_OoooOOooOOOOoOOOOOoOooOOOOOo_

It was a quiet evening that night, a full moon shining above the small town of Kanto. Many young men and women were hanging around the small village, shopping, eating out, cavorting and flirting with one another as they normally did. Small lanterns lit up the village, and cars were slowly driving down the cobblestone streets; it was a peaceful time, and all did not want to break the mood that had settled around them and create bedlam.

But perhaps Mello did not fall into that category, for at that moment, back at the Misora household; a glass-shattering, ear-piercing shout erupted from the young blonde man:

"YOU DID WHAT TO WHOM WHEN?!"

"Mello...please, calm yourself. Do you not remember when the doctor spoke of your blood pressure?"

"BLOOD PRESSURE?! This is NO TIME to be talking of blood pressure, L! You LIED to the PRINCE about your STATUS!! W-WHY?! Have you finally gone crazy, is that it?!"

"Mello-"

"Did breathing in all those cleaner fumes these past fourteen kill your brain cells? Is that it?!"

"Mel-"

"God, why?! What made you think to do that!? If Misa finds out, you're so DEAD! Why would you-"

"You want to know why!? Because, he saw me for someone other than...other than how I am on the outside! He talked to me like an actual human being, Mello! He...he said I was good looking, and the way he looked at me...I've never been looked at like that before." L sighed and sunk to the basement floor at the end of his rant.

"...How did he look at you? Like this?" The blonde imitated a nasty face, as if someone smelled something foul, "Or more along these lines?" Mello flitted his eyelashes and gave a dreamy look.

"Neither, really. But if I had to say between the two, it was more of the later." The younger man stated calmly.

_Damn...did that pretty boy...develop feelings for L? It could be a ride to Hell if he did..._

Mello knew those kinds of looks. When he had been younger, girls had always given the googly-eyes, always sighing and all, and he knew that they all had been crushing on him. And he wasn't surprised that perhaps someone may have developed feelings for his brother (L was quite attractive in his own way, in his opinion), but it was too soon to tell if it was a crush, or if it was just kindness. Mello would keep tabs on that, since L had no experience with love or matters of the heart.

The chocolate lover sighed, and fell to the floor as well, sitting across from L.

"You are **so** lucky Misa's out tonight with Takada and the other girls, so we can at least talk about this in secrecy. Now, what is going to happen tomorrow? Exactly."

"All he said was he would be coming by here tomorrow afternoon. That's all. I'm guessing he'll be here around possibly one o'clock."

"...Yeah, that's a reasonable guess. Sorta. Okay, well, I'm going to help you."

"You will?!" The raven asked with an incredulous tone.

"Why are you so surprised? Yeah, I'm going to help you! I need to make it up to you, and besides, you're my brother, I hate Misa and actually care about you, and...this Raito...he might actually be a good guy, and maybe someone who actually cares about you."

"...He hates servants, though..." L murmured quietly, pulling his legs closer to his body, all the while sitting in that odd crouch.

"Well, maybe you can change that. Now, I have a plan for tomorrow. Want to hear it?"

The ebony-haired fellow smirked, "What do you think?"

OoooOOooOOOOoOOOOOoOooOOOOOo

Dawn arrived, and over at the Yagami household, Raito couldn't be happier. He had been eager, even though he would never admit it out loud, to see L again after yesterday. That man had been in his thoughts constantly during the night; so much so that Raito had woken up early, and began to prepare extensively for the day. A long shower and picking out a nice outfit were the brunette's priorities that morning, and as he was traversing his larger-than-average closet, he heard the bedroom door open.

"You're up? Do you know what time it is?" It was Matt, and the poor boy sounded weary and tired from yesterday's escapades. He had heard Raito moving around, their rooms were right next to each other, so he thought about investigating why his best friend was up at some ungodly hour.

"Eight, right?" Raito turned to his friend, who was still covered in black and blue bruises all over his face, and from what Raito had seen in the infirmary yesterday, most of his body as well. The red-head's right wrist was in a cast-like bandage (It had been broken) and his legs had also taken quite a beating at the fiasco, for he was walking with a cane. But that wouldn't last long, perhaps a week to a week and a half, according to the doctor.

"Yes, it is. So why are you up this early? And...what's with that look? You look like...you're glowing in a way."

"Hm? Oh...I'm just meeting someone later, that's why I'm up early. I want to get ready, that's all."

"...Okay, but it still doesn't explain why you look like you got lucky yesterday. Something happen?"

"...Noting you need to know the details of. In short, I met someone yesterday, and I am seeing them again today."

"N-Nothing I need to know the details of?! Oh, come on, Raito, I'm your **injured **best friend here; I think you owe me some details after yesterday's "fun". Well, **you **had fun, **I **didn't."

"Hehe...Matt, that was your idea, remember?"

"...Shut up. Now tell me who this person is, or I swear I'll...I'll do something so horrible, you'll...damn, I can't think of a good threat..."

Raito laughed out loud, and turned away to hide the giggles bubbling forth, "What, did those girls injure your brain?"

"..." Matt shot a nasty glare, and with a sigh, retired over to the comfortable lounge chair near the bedroom window.

"Fine, do you really want to know?"

"I'm not leaving this spot until you tell me." The red-head stated firmly, crossing his arms in determination.

"...I ran into...someone yesterday. Literally. A guy...his name is-"

"Aha! So you **are** gay! I knew it! I'm going to have to tell Sayu and Ryuk and-"

"Matt, stay with me here, alright? I'm **possibly** gay. I don't know exactly what I feel for this man. Perhaps bi would be a better term at the moment, because-"

"Raito, I'm going to be perfectly honest. You are gay, trust me. Just look at your behavior, and even now; Getting ready, what, many, many hours ahead of meeting someone, unless you plan to meet him at nine, which I doubt."

"...Matt, can we discuss all of this later? I was going to tell you this name, but now..."

"'Kay. Shutting up now." The red-head told him firmly, placing his hands out in front of him, palms to the brunette.

"His name...is L. I know, odd name, right? But...it fits him. And his appearance, wow..."

"What does he look like?"

"Dark, midnight hair; wide, black eyes to match, too. Pale skin, like snow and pale lips..." Raito said wistfully.

"Hmm...sounds attractive, and from that dreamy look on your face, I'd have to say you really like this guy. Like, **really** like him."

"Huh? W-What? No! I-Look, I don't know yet. We have a lot in common; we spent two hours talking about, well, a lot, and...he's so interesting." The brunette was stuttering, which was very unusual.

"Hehe...yep, I can see it. You want to have that guy sooo badly, don't you? And by have, I mean fu-"

"Matt, shut it, alright!" Raito turned away, to hide a reddening face. "I don't want him just for his looks, you know, or to do **that**."

"Ah, so you **admit** you want him?" Matt smiled, realizing Raito had fallen into a trap set up by the brunette's own words.

"W-What? I-"

"Fine, fine, I won't harass you about it anymore."

"Yes, don't. To make sure we're on the same plane, I really like him. I don't know if I want him like that yet, alright? Are we clear?"

"...Yes, mother." The prince threw a pillow at the red-head for that last remark.

_Yeah, like hell you don't want him...I can see that look of desire and passion in your eyes while we were discussing him, Raito...but it's just safe not to argue with him at the moment...let him figure it out on his own..._

"So his name's L? What's the last name?"

"Oh, he said just to call him L, but he belongs to the Misora household."

"...You, you know, didn't check the family registries to check if he was telling the truth?"

"Why would I do that?" The brunette asked incredulously as he held out two shirts, deciding which one would look better with the khaki slacks he had chosen.

"For your own safety, Raito. People may try to use you, take advantage of you."

"...He wouldn't. I trust him; just by looking at him, you can tell he's an honest man."

"..." Matt was wary of his friend's behavior. Normally, Raito was a cautious man, and would take many steps to make sure he was safe and not being lied to. But it seemed this L fellow had broken down the brunette's walls of caution, and had immediately found a way into his heart.

"And Matt, don't do any sneaking around, alright? I don't want to ruin any chance of having something with this guy."

"...Yeah, alright, I won't. And by something, you mean se-"

Raito decided on a dark brown, long sleeve sweater and as he turned to go into his private bathroom, he flipped Matt off, and slammed the door closed.

"Ha-ha...I know you didn't mean that."

"I didn't but it shut you up, right?!"

"Yeah, see you later."

Matt left the bedroom, and closed the door quietly.

_Sorry Raito...but this time, I am going to do some sneaking around..._

It had been the first time Mail Jeevas had ever lied to his best friend. But it would be for the guy's safety, for Matt could tell Raito was head over heels for this guy, even though he wouldn't admit it, and he had let his guard down. And with that reason in mind, Matt took a walk to the large registry building on the south side of the castle.

OOoOOoOOOOOOOOoooOoo OoOooOooOOo

"OH MELLO! THANK YOU, THANK YOU!" Misa squealed as she hugged her brother, "This shopping certificate is amazing! Two-hundred dollars! Wow, and I can't believe you're giving it to me!"

"No problem Misa. I won it, and I think you would make better use of it. But it expires at midnight tonight, so you better use it today."

"Aww...the mall's so far away. Kouichi Mall is what, thirty miles away, right?"

"Thirty-five. It'll take you a good two hours maybe to get there, so you should go soon!"

"Well, alright! I'll go. Kiyomi and Mimi will want to go too!"

"Yep!" Mello nodded, thinking that his plan was working out perfectly, "See you later!"

"Bye, and keep an eye on L, too, alright? And...you know the rules." Misa smiled a bright smile and then slammed the door.

"Awesome." The blonde boy ran down to the basement, and grabbed his brother, who was washing the window at the moment, "L, hey, it worked!" He whispered.

The ebony eyes went wide, shocked that his sister actually bought the whole "fake certificate" ruse.

"She bought it?" L turned back to the window just in time to see Misa pulling away in her red mustang, Kiyomi Takada and Mimi Isigawa in the back seats.

"Yep, but she's going to be so pissed at me when she comes home. More than likely, she'll get **everything** she wants to buy, and then at the last moment when she's ready to purchase, they'll tell her it's a fake. That should buy you enough time with the pretty boy."

"Mello, he is not a pretty boy." L shot his brother a glare.

"Yeah, yeah, sure, but hey, do you need to get ready? He'll be here soon."

"...Perhaps I shall shower, but I can wear my regular clothes. I told him I am more comfortable in them."

"Sure, whatever, just hurry up!"

L ran from the room, up the stairs, and ran into the first floor bathroom, stripping quickly. The warm water felt good on his pale skin, but it did nothing to calm his nerves. What did Raito want? Was he looking for a deep friendship? They most likely already had that, and there was also the fact that...some things the young royal had said had made the raven's heart race with anticipation and nervousness. And since when did people who were just friends say that they were good looking? Okay, so maybe Raito hadn't just blatantly said that, but couldn't L take it like he had sad he was good looking? And what-

L was cut off from his thoughts when he heard a knock at the door; his breath caught in his throat, and his precious heart picked up speed. The raven mentally chastised himself; he was acting like a little school girl!

"I'll get it!" Mello called as he walked past the bathroom, and L inwardly swore. Maybe he did have reason to worry if Mello was going to answer it; even though Mello was on L's side, the blonde could still embarrass him out of pure humor and hilarity.

"Oh, yes, I heard you were coming!" He heard Mello proclaim, "It's an honor, Your Highness."

L hurriedly dressed, and dried his hair with the nearest towel, and before he opened the door, he took a quick look in the mirror. The young male looked like how he normally did, except his wet hair had fallen flat around his face, and was straight from the water. He shook his head, since when did **he** care about his appearance? And this wasn't a date or anything...right? L calmly opened the door, and exited into the hallway.

"Yes, and would you know if L is-"

"Someone call me?" The ebony-haired stated smoothly as he entered the living room. "Oh, Your Highness, I wasn't expecting you until later."

"...Did I interrupt your shower, L? Your hair is still dripping..." Raito asked with concern in his tone and eyes.

"Hm? Oh, I was just finishing up, nothing to worry about Your High-" A glare came from the brunette, "I mean Raito-sama."

_Raito-sama eh...? Well, aren't these two friendly..._ Mello pondered as he watched the duo interact; _At least the prince seems to actually care..._

"So...you're ready to go?" Came the cautious question from the young royal.

L nodded and both he and Raito headed towards the door; the ebony-haired man opened the door with a creak, and then turned to his brother for one last question.

"Mello...I'll be back later, don't worry if it is late, you know to just call me if anything come up, correct?"

"Oh? Uh, oh, yeah, I do. See you two later." Mello got the hidden message from that question: if Misa came home early, call him (Mello had given L his cell phone, he'd use the home phone) and cover for him.

With a nod, the raven closed the door; unfortunately, that did not close and silence the worries coming from the back of his mind.

OOOOoooOOOoooooooooOOOOOo

"May I ask where we are headed, Raito-sama?" The black Rolls-Royce sped along paved road, the two men sitting next to each other in black leather seats, L in his typical crouch, Raito with one leg crossed over the other.

"Well, you told me you like nature, so how about the royal orchards? They're far enough from the castle so we'll have privacy, and later, we can go to the town of Myodi for lunch, if you want."

"That is fine. But I have another question, if I may ask?"

"L, you can ask me anything, don't be shy about it. Shoot."

"...Weren't your parents upset with yesterday's...um...incident? Did they really let you hang out with me today without any qualms?"

"Yeah, they were pretty angry with me; I was not going to be allowed to leave the castle for two weeks. But when I told them I had a date with someone today, they got all happy about it and they didn't punish me. Lucky, huh?" Raito reached down and grabbed his water-bottle, taking a long drink.

"Hmm...so this **is** a date?"

And there went the water, being spit out onto the floor in shock.

"W-W-What? I-You-They...What...I mean-"

"Is something wrong, Raito-sama?"

"Well, uh...this doesn't have to be a date...I mean-"

_Why? Why did I have to say "date"...? Not that I would mind if it was or anything...but...God, he probably doesn't want a __**date **__with me...I'm so screwed..._

"That is fine, Raito-sama. I am not concerned with formalities and titles. Think of this as a non-date; a gathering of two friends, perhaps?"

"...Yeah, that's fine."

_Oh, thank God, he handled that well...huh?!_

Raito turned to see L's right thumb settling in between his pale lips. When the other noticed the brunette's look of confusion, L turned to his right and addressed the man.

"It is a habit, Raito-sama. It helps me think, and also calms me. I will stop if it bothers you."

_What a strange man...and yet, that is just...cute?! Oh, God, stop it Raito...don't think like that, seriously don't...! Do you want to ruin this "date" today? Even though you were thinking like that last night...in bed...gah! Shut up, subconscious!  
_

"It doesn't bother me, but that is bad for your thumb. Sucking or biting on it, whatever you do, it's just...unhealthy for it. You know, damages it?"

Raito grabbed the man's hand, and forced it away from his mouth. He caressed the thumb lightly, examining it.

"It is? I have never known that, Raito-sama. Nor did I know that you were such an expert when it came to hands and nails."

The brunette sent what he hoped was a nasty look, but he knew it was nothing more than a light, playful glare, with no qualms or anger behind it.

"...I did not also know that Raito-sama likes to hold hands..." L trailed off when he spoke up a moment later, turning away to look out the window at the passing countryside, hoping to hide his flushing face.

"...Hmm? Oh! Uh...sorry..." The prince had been lost in his own world as he had gone from touching the thumb to gently dancing his tan fingers across the palm and top of the hand. When the other spoke up, he released the hand, again to his own disappointment.

_Hell, I do like him, don't I...? Look at me...! I've never acted like this before... I've turned into a wreck, haven't I...?! A high schoolgirl-like wreck...?! ...Oh, God, now he's staring at me!! What did I do...?!_

"Um...L? Is something wrong? You are uh, staring at me..."

"Oh, nothing at all, Raito-sama, forgive me. You just seem...troubled, that is all."

"What? Me? Ha-ha, no, I'm fine, don't worry." Raito gave the other a bright, charming smile, which must have assured L, for he turned back towards his window.

_What's he thinking about...? __**He's **__the one that seems troubled...No matter, he'll tell me what is on his mind eventually... _Raito observed the other through the corner of his eye.

The prince's perception wasn't off at all; L was troubled, and was thinking hard of his current situation.

_How long will you keep this up, L...? Especially since this man next to you is charming you like a figment out of a fairy tale!...Damn...and here I thought my heart was dead to the classic matters of love and happiness, but this man seems to be changing that...No, no, I don't like him like that...do I...? Alright, even if you do, let's just say that __**hypothetically**__ you do, it's more that you __**can't. **__You're a servant... Remember that...just..._

"L?"

"Hm, yes, Raito-sama?"

"...You know, you can call me Raito-kun if you wish. I think we're past the point of formalities, right?"

_Remember that L, you can't...Remember that!_

"...If Raito-kun wishes..." That comment brought a bright smile to the royal's lips.

_Agh! He's smiling that smile again...why do the gods torture me so...? You can't fall for him like that...friendship is one thing, you can a) find other friends, not that you need them, and b) maybe, if you don't go that far with him, he'll either forgive you more easily, or he'll just drop you like yesterday's trash...which would hurt, but I have overcome worse...right?_

The rest of the ride was quiet, but not too much of an awkward silence. It was more like a calm before the storm and a peaceful aura had blended together to create a new type of sense; an unknown sense to all those dwelling in it.

OooOOOOoOoOOOooOOOOOOoooo

The orchards were beautiful this time of year; some trees were in bloom, their colorful flowers elegantly shining among the mid-day sun; other bore fruit, such as apples or pears, fresh and ready to be picked.

The orchard grounds were about four miles away from the castle itself, which lead to valuable privacy and security. To even be allowed into the grounds, Raito had had to use a special key to unlock the steel-iron gate, and alert the guards that he was on the premises.

The duo had taken a short walk to a bench, where Raito had invited him to sit and relax; L obeyed, while the prince chose to stand nearby and gaze at the greenery, for he felt...unnerved. But, strangely, in a good way, if that was even possible.

"...It's beautiful, isn't it?" Raito asked after a few moments of silence, "Sometimes, I'm able to sneak away and come here, just for...a peaceful moment."

"Mmmm...yes, it is, I can see why you would do that, Raito-kun..." The raven closed his eyes as a breeze blew from the east, and he wallowed in the feeling of how the cool wind felt wonderful on his skin. After so many years of not spending time outside, the younger man relished this wonderful opportunity.

L, then, wasn't able to see the stare Raito was giving him; the passion and depth of that stare would most likely have scared him, and would have had him running for the hills due to his inexperience.

_...Wow...he's...he's so... _

The brunette couldn't find the words to describe how that other man looked to him at the moment, but it made his heart-rate speed up, his knees quiver, and all around "bad" things that he had never experienced before when looking at the women he had been forced to see on a daily basis.

So why Raito found his feet moving on their own accord to sit next to this man, his friend, was beyond his comprehension at this point. But they did, and the whole time, those chocolate brown eyes never left their target of that raven-haired man.

L felt movement next to him, and opened his eyes to see the prince seated next to him; he also caught the expression the other man held, fear and confusion sinking into his mind. The ebony-haired man tried not to think of what could happen next out of this fear that began to bubble forth, but in the back of his mind, he was holding his breath, his bated breath, pondering if the royal would get closer to him.

...And he did.

Raito's elegant fingers came close to the other's face, and the younger man tensed up, but didn't move away. The secret longing of wanting those fingers to touch his porcelain snow skin and the fear of letting anything such as intimacy occur between him and the other were in a raging war; and it seemed that the former feeling won, for L didn't even move an inch.

"You...you have large dark circles under your eyes...I saw them yesterday...and..." Raito stated quietly, trailing off as if he didn't know how to phrase a question.

"...That is because I don't sleep Raito-kun." The servant boy replied calmly, but let out a small gasp when the fingers because to roam across the dark bags under his eyes, caressing them in such a similar way as how the wind touched them moments ago. L closed his eyes, the gentle touch soothing him, and he wallowed in the wonderful feeling.

"...Don't sleep, huh? Not...not at all...?"

L shook his head, eyes still shut, and responded, "...Just very little. An hour or two here or there..."

"...Really? Well...I have to admit, they bring out your eyes..."

L was silent for a moment, but in seconds he had burst into a fit of giggles; which, to no surprise, turned into raging laughter, echoing off the orchard's trees.

"What's so funny?!" Raito asked with a tone of annoyance.

"...R-Raito-kun, ha, sounded very...feminine when he said that..." L held a hand to his mouth, trying to contain himself.

"Shut up!" Raito shoved L off the bench playfully, and towered over the laughing insomniac.

"...Hehe...forgive me, Raito-kun. I admit, I can be brutally honest at times. I shall make it up to you..." L surveyed his surrounding area, "If I get Raito-kun an apple from that tree, will he let my comment slide?"

"Huh? Sure, but really, I don't think you can climb that behemoth." The tree the younger man had pointed at stood many feet tall, probably around fifteen to eighteen feet.

"Ah, but just because Raito-kun cannot climb trees due to his feminine qualities doesn't me I cannot." L had already started to climb up the tree nimbly.

"Hey, who said I couldn't climb trees?!"

"The look on your face gave it away, Raito-kun!" L called out as he climbed higher.

"..Ugh...Well, just be careful! I don't want you to break your neck on this "non-date"!"

"Ha-ha! Do not worry, Raito-kun. I climbed many trees in my early youth." L responded, and by this time, the apples were not far from his reach.

"So, you **were** raised by monkeys, considering the way you're climbing that thing **and **your appearance!" Raito responded with a laugh.

"...Well, I wouldn't say that. But my sister..." L trailed off, and grabbed an apple, and Raito laughed again at the man's humor.

In a matter of minutes, the young raven hopped down, landing right in front of the royal.

"For you, Your Highness..." L said with a sweet smile, giving a bow. "For I know of your inability to climb high objects, so-"

"Oh, shut up L!" The brunette smiled, playfully shoving the other man, and then taking his hand, leading him back to the bench.

"...You know...you didn't have to do that..." Raito trailed off, suddenly becoming shy.

"Oh, I didn't?" L gave a pout, "Pity. And here I was, thinking if I did that, I could become the next royal apple picker."

"...There is no such job, L." The older man gave the other a wry smile.

"Really?!" L feigned shock and gave a dramatic response, "Then...there are no jobs left?! I can't have the privilege of working for the royal family?! Oh, lord, I am being depraved!"

"...Well..." Raito sat the apple on the bench, and turned towards the other man, "There's one position open..."

"Hm...and that is...?" L gasped as the other man's face moved closer and closer to his. He noticed Raito and his hands were still entwined, and the brunette's eyes were lidded and darker. The other tan had came to grip L's chin gently, and Raito moved even closer to him.

_He's going to kiss me, isn't he...?! No, no...this can't happen... or can it? Even though I want it...and yes, I realize I__** do**__ want it...can it happen..?!_

_  
_"Raito..." L whispered, and yes, he was going to let it happen. Something deep inside him was compelling him to. His dark orbs also became half closed, and he could feel the warm breath coming from the other man as he leaned in.

Just as both sets up lips were about to connect, a scream was let out from near by.

"ONII-CHAAAAAAN!"

"Agh!" Raito fell off the bench in shock from the high-pitched squeal just as Sayu Yagami came around the corner.

"Onii-chan! There you are!" The young girl proclaimed cheerfully.

"S-Sayu?! What the hell?! Why are you here?" The prince interrogated angrily as he brushed himself off and stood up.

_Your timing sucks Sayu...do you even realize what was about to happen...?!_

"Well, Ryuk told me you were going to be out here in the orchards with someone on a date, so I thought I would come check up on you, and see if this person meets my standards!" The princess then looked over her brother's shoulder, and her eyes went wide when she saw L.

_Sayu...you better not say anything to hurt him, or I'll..._

"OH...MY...GOD...You are ADORABLE!" The princess screamed and ran over to the raven, enveloping him in a tight hug. L almost looked as if he was in pain from the over-zealous affection; his eyes were nearly popping out of their sockets.

"..N-Nice to meet you, Princess.." The ebony-haired man squeezed out.

"Oh, please call me Sayu! So...you're the guy my brother wants to. you know, how can I phrase this without being crude...um...screw! Yeah, you're the guy my brother wants to screw!"

"SAYU!" Raito felt his face heat up with embarrassment, and wow, that seemed to be happening a lot lately...

"Well, is it true Raito? Ryuk told me you were talking to yourself last night, he was guarding your room and all, and he said to me that you were saying someone's name...a lot. Would your name happen to be L?"

_Oh, Dear God, if you love me...strike this girl down, NOW...don't kill her, but shut...her...up! _

"...Um..yes?" L responded with a tilt of his head. The poor guy had really no idea what was going on.

"AHA! I knew it! So you are the one my brother is in lo-"

"Okay! Hey, Sayu, can I talk to you over there, like **now!** And in private, just stay here L."

The brunette grabbed his sister's arm and led her off a few feet away to an area secluded by multiple trees, leaving a very confused L behind.

"What are you doing, Sayu?! Are you trying to ruin this for me?!" Raito whispered in a hushed tone.

"...You really like him, don't you?" She questioned cutely.

"No, I just brought him out here because I like bringing all of my friends out here! Of course I like him, you idiot."

"You love him."

"...W-What?! Are you kidding me?! I've only known the guy for two days, how can I be in love with him?"

"Mom and Dad only knew each other for six days, and they knew they were in love. They got married three months after meeting each other. And besides, onii-chan, I'm a woman. I know a few things about love!"

"Like hell you do! You haven't even had a boy friend yet! You're only fifteen!"

"...So?! I've read books and watched soap operas! I know what I'm talking about! And...you keep looking over at him during our conversation Raito."

"Huh?! What, no I do not! I-" The brunette male had been eyeing the other nearby man, and when he turned back to his sibling, he placed his head against an apple tree in resignation.

"Fine, I'll admit it! I think I'm falling in love with him! HAPPY NOW!?" He whispered fiercely to his sister.

"Yay! You're finally falling in love! About time, too. And I know you can get some good action from this guy, I bet he's real hung, onii-chan!"

Raito felt his face turn red at Sayu's last comment, and turned to his sister, "We're done here, and you've got to go. Now."

The prince pulled the princess out of the area, and back towards L. With a sigh, Sayu proclaimed, "Bye L! It was SO nice to meet you! See you later!" She skipped off happily towards the front gate.

"I am so sorry, L. I hope she didn't offend you." Raito returned to his spot next to the other on the bench.

"It is quite alright, Raito-kun. I know how sisters can behave."

"Hmm...can you honestly tell me your sister is just as crazy?"

"Well..." A picture of Misa insanely laughing came into the genius' mind, "Yes."

Silence fell over the duo again, and this time, the awkwardness was there, large and in charge in all ways. They were waiting for each other to say something, anything to move the day along.

Raito cleared his throat, and cupped L's hand in his own.

"So... how about lunch?"

Well, at least he said something...

OoOoOOOOoOOOoooOOooOOOooo

Raito didn't believe one man could put that many sugars in his coffee. Nor did he also believe that man could order a slice of strawberry cheesecake for lunch. But L seemed to break all of that normality down at the tavern Raito had chosen. The brunette marveled at the way the other stared at his precious cake, those black gems going wide, and that mouth settling into a small smile.

_...That's just...adorable...and you wish he could look at you like that, don't you...? Sigh, Raito, stop thinking such things!..._

"Is Raito-kun not hungry? He has not even taken a bite out of his sandwich yet..."

_He's staring at me...again!...Why...? I'm not attractive...am I...? No, I can't be...but he keeps gazing at me like...like...I don't know what it's like...and why do I enjoy it?! Dammit L, you weren't suppose to fall for this guy, but you did, didn't you?! Your heart was suppose to have died a long time ago..._

"I'm fine, L, just..."

"Tired? I would not be surprised if Raito-kun was, after yesterday's event and all."

"Yeah, I am...so before the food came, you were saying something about the caste system?"

"Ah, yes, my opinion of it. I was just wondering what Raito-kun plans to do with it when he takes the throne."

"...It's staying. Why bother getting rid of something that is good?"

"Is it good, Raito-kun? Have you seen the conditions of the workers that are forced into servitude or slavery? I understand having upper, middle, and lower classes of people, all kingdoms have that. But this caste system is old and it doesn't work properly, Kisamari is the only nation that has it still set up."

"..." Raito was hesitant to respond, but it was mostly because he wanted to hear this man's intelligent opinion.

"Many men and women have had their lives gone awry due to this system, especially those that lost those certificates under circumstances they could not control. What about those people that had their certificates destroyed by a thief, do they not deserve justice, instead of harsh work, dirty clothes, no food, and pain and suffering? And what about children who don't even understand how it works? Do you still think it's good, Raito-kun?"

"...I..I cannot honestly say, L. I agree with you the conditions could be better, and maybe it's not perfect, but...perhaps they, the servants and slaves, deserve it? The treatment they receive that is.."

L's hands clench into fists at the comment, and he found it hard to control his anger, "...Raito-sama feels...that they deserve what they receive...?"

_Raito-__**sama**__...? Did I anger him!? I- _

"L, what I mean-"

"No...I know what His Highness means...since they are so beneath him, they absolutely deserve what they receive! Maybe those that are criminals and murderers that are forced into servitude and slavery deserve what they receive, but do innocent people? No, they don't. It...it isn't just." L stood up from the table and headed towards the door.

"Hold on a second!" Raito shouted after him and followed him outside, "What's got you all upset?! The system works! People are happy, this world of ours that consists of Kisamari is right! Our economy is booming due to the work those people provide, and if they aren't living well, then...so be it. You...you're just too much of a good-hearted person, L. Trust me, and those people deserve what they get. And if they are so stupid to let their certificates be destroyed...that's their problem."

The brunette walked over to him, clasping his shoulders gently, "And besides, you don't need to worry about them. You're not one of them, you're better than them. So, so much better."

L blinked away the tears that were beginning to form.

_Your words cut like knives, Raito-kun...and you don't even know it...And yet...somehow...I still care about you, despite your thoughts on __**us**__... _

"Yes, silly me, Raito-kun, forgive me. I am just too much of a kind-hearted person...Always..."

"...Yeah, but...I really like that about you...come on, let's go back inside..." Raito clasped the other man's hand and led him back to the tavern.

_L...you care about them...why...? You...you are so much better than them...why are you so adamant about helping them...do...do you have deep connections with them..._

_Will you ever tell me your connections to the lower dregs of society...or is that for me to never know L...?_

OoOOoOOoOOOOOOOOoooOoo

It was dark by the time Raito dropped L off at home, the time around eight. The rest of the day had gone quite smoothly; after lunch, the prince had taken the younger man to a nearby river, where they spent the rest of the day talking again about various subjects. It seemed those two could talk about anything, all the time. Though, the topic of slavery was heartily avoided at all costs. L also showed the royal man some of his martial arts moves, promising to teach Raito whatever he wanted to know. He did, and it was realized that Raito was never born to be an expert of the martial arts. He fell flat on his face, back, and ass for the first fifteen minutes, threw a hissy fit, and then L promised they would go slower with teaching him, and he would get it eventually. L suggested starting with Tai-chi, it would help him, and Raito told him he would be eager to learn all L could show him.

The two arrived at the Misora doorstep, and again, awkwardness was born.

"Sooo..." Raito began.

"So?"

"Uh...well..."

"Does Raito-kun have something on his mind?" L asked innocently, his doe-wide eyes shining.

"...Are you being a smart-ass by asking me that?"

"...Hm...I guess I am, in a way...aren't I? I mean, it is obvious that you do have something on your mind, and-"

"You want to know something L?" Raito stepped closer to the other, and the raven internally gasped.

"...Do I? At the moment, I am not sure..."

Raito's tan, muscular hands grabbed the sides of L's face quickly, bringing it mere inches from his own.

"As much as I love to hear you talk L..." The brunette whispered, "Sometimes...you just talk too much."

L was going to respond, say a biting remark, anything really...but he couldn't.

For Raito's lips had crashed onto his, and a gentle kiss was born.

L figured he would remember that kiss until he died, and possibly even after his demise, if the after life allowed that. It was...there were multiple words to describe it: passionate, relaxing, perfect...all words that man had stated before. L thought that there was no word that could actually describe it; he felt he would have to find or create a word to describe the wonderful sensation of the other man's lips moving on his, tasting him, drinking him in.

L did feel something else: the desire to reciprocate, which he did. He placed his heart and soul into that one kiss, his first kiss, and kissed Raito back just as passionately. Even though he wasn't one-hundred percent sure of himself, he went with his instincts.

And God must have given him some damn good instincts, for Raito let out a soft moan of pleasure as his hands nestled in the black tresses.

Raito broke away a moment later, reluctantly mind you, but both knew they could go no further tonight or right in front of a house.

Both were panting, foreheads together, smiling.

"Wow..." The prince whispered, hoping his words would not break the peaceful mood.

"My...thoughts exactly...Raito-kun." Came the quiet reply.

"Look, I can't see you tomorrow. I have meetings all day, but...how about the next day?"

All L had the strength to do was nod.

"Great then...well, good night, L."

It would have been the perfect end to a wonderful day. Raito was walking away slowly, still facing L, his eyes in a glazed over daze...

Only to trip on a rock and fall right down on that beautiful, fan-girl target ass of his with a groan.

"Raito-kun?! Are...Are you hurt?" L asked while trying to stifle giggles.

"No...Hey, are...are you laughing at me?!"

"No..ha-ha! What gave you..hehe..that idea?"

Raito hopped off the ground in a flash, and ran to L. He pushed the younger man against the door, and kissed him fiercely, and the raven gasped at the move.

"There...all better. Good night..." The prince whispered, and gallantly strode over to his car, hopping in the backseat with ease. The driver sped off a moment later; all the while Raito looked back at the ebony-haired man with joy in his chocolate eyes.

L entered the home in a state of shock, and thankfully, Misa still wasn't home yet. Mello was seated on the couch, a wide smile on his face.

"Sooo...how was it? I saw that kiss, you know. So-"

But L didn't answer. He simply walked away in a daze and headed towards his room in the basement. There, he calmly laid down on his bed, and stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought.

With a resigned sigh, he went over to a brick on the floor, tugging it out. There, nestled secretly in the crevice, was a small green and gold music box that had belonged to his parents many, many years ago.

L had received it many moons ago from Naomi Misora; she had gone back to the ruins of his old home one summer day, and had found the little trinket nestled under the charred wood and ash. The raven remembered the treasure; his parents had played it for him when he was a child. For some odd reason, he could remember it, while his parents were a blur in his mind; perhaps because he remembered the actual musical lullaby helping him drift off to sleep.

And thankfully, Misa thought she had burned all of his belongings, but the raven and Mello had managed to save this little one...

He wound the small key, and the music began to chime. Through this, L actually figured he could "talk" in a way to the family he never knew, and maybe even to Naomi as well.

"Father...Mother...and Naomi...what do I do...?" He whispered to the air and spirits around him

The music continued to chime; it's soulful tune, elegantly coming to life all around him

"I...I...think I have fallen in love...yes, I am pretty sure I have..."

The music began to die down slowly...

"And...how can I love him...when he doesn't know who I really am...?"

_Ding, Dong, Ding... _The last three notes hung in the air...

But L didn't hear them; he had already drifted off to sleep.

OoOOOoOOOOOOOooOOOOO

Mail Jeevas was still in the registry room come eight o' clock. All day, he had searched the books and electronic databases for an L Misora...

Finding. No. Match.

Yes, there **was **a Misora family, consisting of a man named Mello and a woman named Misa, but no such man as L.

But that wasn't the worst of it, no it wasn't.

There wasn't a man named L at all through the whole system. Sure, if this guy had had an ordinary name, it would be hard to pinpoint exactly who he was, but Matt figured with a name like L, it had to be easy to find him. And, perhaps this "L" was ashamed of his family lineage. That wasn't uncommon, so he could have decided to "borrow" the Misora name.

But nothing...there was no man named L not just throughout the village of Kanto, but also in the entire kingdom of Kisamari.

This left a few thoughts in Matt's head:

One, this man was using an alias. That wouldn't be a surprise, but it was highly unlikely.

Or Two...this man really didn't exist, and Raito was making this all up. Well, Matt crossed that thought out; Raito could be a little crazy, but he'd never acted deranged enough to make up a fantasy like this.

Or Three...this man...wasn't who he said he was when it came to his status, for slaves and servants were NOT in the database. This was the most likely of the three.

_Well, you'll find out tomorrow, won't you? _

Matt had a plan; he figured he'd stop at the Misora household tomorrow. Perhaps one of them would have some answers...

OoOOOOoooOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

A/N: OH NOES! Matty's suspicious! DX

Whew, long chapter, but this one has been my favorite so far! Reviews are welcomed! And thanks for reading! :D


	5. Secrets: Some Unexposed, Others Told

A/N: Because I got a lot of people asking me for a quick update, here it is! And yes, the rating went up...but I blame Raito's secret perverted and extremely bored mind... XD You'll see what I mean, just read on! And thanks so much, we've passed 60 reviews, thank YOU!! :D Oh, and long chapter here too…Over 8500 words! XD

Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note, Ever After, and fairytales/fables/Shakespeare stories/songs featured in here…..I'm not awesome enough… X'D

OooOOoooOOOoooOOOOo

_Child of the pure, unclouded brow_

_And dreaming eyes of wonder!_

_Though time be fleet and I and thou_

_A half a life asunder,_

_Thy loving smile will surely hail_

_The love-gift of a fairy tale!_

_- Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)_

OoOOOooOOOOOoOOOOOOOOoOOOOOooO

Pure, golden sunlight had streamed through Mihael's window the next morning, and many would take that as a good sign for the day to come; wouldn't you? When it's raining and dark outside in the early morning, do you not feel a sense of dread in your heart and soul? But when you hear the birds chirping, see the sun shining, and no clouds in sight, do you, my friend, feel a sense of joy blossom in your heart?

Well, Mello figured it was going to be a good day, at first...that is, until Misa barged into his room.

"MELLO! Give me the two-hundred dollars you promised me, NOW!"

_Oh, that's right..._ Mello grimaced as his sister screamed at him. _Last night..._

Well, last night hadn't been fun. After L had gone downstairs in what the blonde boy called a "love-daze", Misa had come home thirty minutes later, furious as a wet cat. She let out a storm of screams and yells at Mello, stating that the certificate was phony, and not only did she waste her entire day, and that Takada and Mimi were mad at her, but also she was highly embarrassed and that Mello owed her. The man stated with as much innocence as he could muster that he had had no idea about the certificate, and that he'd give Misa the money so she could go back and buy what she wanted.

The girl had also asked how L had been during the day, and Mello calmly stated the servant had done all his chores. Which, of course, was a flat out lie; thankfully, Mello had done them all (that was what covering for your sibling was all about) and done them well, for when the bubbly blonde girl checked to see how the job was done, she seemed satisfied, and didn't ask anymore questions.

"Fine, here's your money," Mello begrudgingly said, and handed the woman the bills. "Are you leaving now?"

"Yes, I am. Takada and Mimi and I are going back to that mall, and we are going to have to do our shopping all over again, no thanks to you!"

_Whatever, princess... _Mello honestly didn't care about her problems, for he honestly didn't care about **her** anymore.

"Where's L?! Why isn't he working yet?!" She pouted angrily.

"I think he's asleep, don't worry about him. Just go." Did he sound too eager to get the stupid girl out of the house? He hoped not.

"Asleep?! What the hell, I thought he was an insomniac! Well, I'll see you later, just get that lazy bum up!" She pounded out of the room in her high black boots, and slammed the door with a bang. The chocolate-lover heard the red Mustang speed off, and he finally breathed.

Mello calmly descended the stairs and headed towards the basement. To no surprise, L was still asleep on the floor, and clutched in his hands was the music box.

_Don't disturb him...let him sleep a little longer, he needs it... _

He did, though, take the music box gently from the bony hands and placed it back in its hiding place, so no one could find it; "No one" being Misa that is.

"R...Raito...strawberry...cake?...Mmm...Raito..." The ebony-haired man murmured in his sleep, and Mello almost chuckled aloud.

As the young man was about to ascend the stairs, he heard a knock at the door, and was surprised, for visitors did not normally show up at this hour, it was only seven AM.

_Bet it's Misa...that dumb girl probably forgot her keys or something... _

But it wasn't Misa who stood on the porch of the Misora manor. Instead, a red-headed male, dressed in a striped shirt and pale-colored jacket with a cigarette protruding from his mouth graced the presence of the Misora household.

"Hello there, the name's Mail Jeevas. I need to have a word with you about something important."

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_So...So boring...When will these stupid things end...?!_

It was hard to tell that Raito Yagami was bored, for the man kept up quite a facade. He seemed alert, his eyes following the speaker, who was addressing the latest possible tax increase at the third meeting Raito had attended this morning. And it was only eight AM. Yes, that's right: the 3rd meeting he had attended, and yet it was only 8 AM... And whoever said being of royal blood was easily really needs to get their ass kicked...or maybe suffer through these meeting like Raito was.

Added to that were some other "fun" facts: One, Raito was seated next to his father, so yes, he had to look like he was paying attention to all of the crap (in Raito's silent opinion at least) spewing out of these old men's mouths. Second off, Raito had many more meetings to attend after this one. They were mostly short, maybe forty-five to an hour each, but there were many of them, and the prince was sure that he would not be finished with them until late that evening. Finally, the brunette was tired. He hadn't fallen asleep until around midnight; he was on what many could consider a "great date high", and he just couldn't get L out of his mind. And still, the raven-haired man haunted his mind at the moment.

_L...I wonder what he's doing right now...probably doing something fun...what-what if...what if he's with someone else..!? What if...what if yesterday didn't mean anything to him...?! What-_

"What if he doesn't really like me?!"

Fourteen pairs of eyes turned to the brunette prince, who had, of course, shouted that last statement out.

"Uh...Are you alright Your Highness?" It was the head financial adviser, Suichi Aizawa who had spoken up first. Aizawa was a long time friend of the king's and Soichiro had promoted him to head of the financial committee when he had taken the throne. The afro-adorned man always did his job to one-hundred percent efficiency, and his tone had somewhat of an edge due to the prince's disruption.

"Uh? Oh, of course! Just...Just ignore that, Aizawa-san, please continue." Raito flashed a one hundred-watt smile.

"...Yes. Anyway, the property taxes from last year show..."

_Damn, why did I just spurt that out..!? L...he hasn't left my mind for a second since last night...Why...? Hell, I know why, I've fallen for that guy, completely fallen in love with him, haven't I...? Sigh...okay, Raito just don't think about him...or his beautiful eyes...or his luscious hair...or his amazing body, well at least the body under those baggy clothes which I haven't seen yet, but still I bet it is hot and-...gah!!_

Raito was about to slam his head on the table. Oh, it was to be a long and hard day...

And Raito, in his mind, wished it hadn't been exactly phrased that way...

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"Look you; I honestly have no idea what you're talking about." Mello proclaimed as he sat across from this "Mail" character, who actually wanted to be called Matt (Mello could see why...).

"Mihael, er, Mello. Someone is using your family name and is impersonating a noble, who is getting closer to the prince. Now, the Misora family isn't that big, you're not entirely well known save for those here in Kanto, so my hypothesis is that you or your sister know the person who is doing this. Or, you could give me some information on those that you may suspect who would do this."

"...Nope, sorry, I can't." Mello hoped this guy would be able to see through the lie.

The red-head was silent, and gave the blonde a piercing stare with his hazel eyes.

"...You're lying to me, Mello-san." He spoke quietly after some time.

"...Huh? What-"

"You are a terrible liar. One, you are sweating profusely. Two, your answers are too direct and discreet, synonymous to those who lie. Three, very little eye contact, and four-"

"...It's not what you think, Matt-san."

"!?" Matt gave a confused look to the other male, "What do you mean?"

"Do...Do you trust me?" Mello asked quietly.

"Pfft. You just lied to me, didn't you? So how can I-"

Mello cut him off quickly, "Because...this isn't for me. It's for my brother."

"...Brother? You...you don't have a brother. What are you saying?!" Matt was slowly becoming annoyed with this man.

"Please...something happened to him, and now...will you just listen to me and keep an open mind?" Mello's blue eyes pleaded with the others, his cerulean orbs shining brightly due to the sunlight shining in through the adjacent window.

With a resigned sigh, Matt's shoulders slumped, and he became more relaxed in his seat.

"Alright. For some reason, that look in your eyes is sincere. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for cute guys." The goggle-wearing man gave a small wink, causing Mello to turn away.

"Whatever. Well, to start off, I do have a brother. Step-brother, really; named L. And fourteen years ago, after my mother died..."

OoOoooooooooooooooOOOOOOoOoOooOOOooOo

_"Raito..." The raven-haired man whispered, his voice cutting through the silence like a dagger._

"So as you can see," Aizawa stated, "We have had a drop in prices on the South side of the kingdom, and the value of a dollar has dropped slightly, but not too dangerously. We expect it to rise very soon."

_"Oh, Raito...yes..." L moaned as the prince softly kissed his neck, leaving a trail of butterfly kisses from the jaw to the collarbone; to accompany his lips, his tan hands caressed the pale torso._

"Meanwhile, Kisamari's exporting market has boomed in the last month, and also the prior months. This is most likely due to the high quality of food our farmers are producing, along with the new car plants opening up around the kingdom.

_"Raito...ah, yes! Please..." _

_"Yes, L...beg...beg for me..." The brunette whispered seductively, his hands continuing to trail down the man's bare chest. He broke away quickly to strip himself of his own shirt, then pushed L back onto the ruby colored bed sheets, and joined L in the pleasure of skin meeting skin as he began to kiss the insomniac again._

"So, in conclusion, I feel that...that..."

_"Raito, yes, ah! Touch me, Raito..." The raven gasped in a pleading manner._

_"Yes, L..." Raito's hands slid down towards the other's jeans._

"Ahem... "Aizawa cleared his throat, hoping to catch the youth's diverted attention.

_"Yes, Yes!" Raito's left hand slid into the insomniac's pants, and touched-_

"Your Highness!" The afro-man called sternly, banging a fist on the round table.

"H-Huh!? What!?" Raito nearly shouted as he was snapped out of his daydream.

"Were you paying attention, Your Highness? Young sir, you need to know how all of this information works so when you take the throne you are prepared! Do you want to give your father a hear-attack when he's old and retired and he sees the kingdom in shambles due to you incompetence?! Why-"

"No, Aizawa-san. Forgive me. I was listening; I just lost my train of thought."

"...Fine, fine. I only half-believe you, you know. That glazed look in your eyes was a dead give away, and so was that little bit of drool coming out of your mouth." He finished with a chuckle.

Raito flushed red, and wiped his mouth, hoping to get rid of whatever wet evidence that had bubbled up due to his fantasy. He noticed his father shot him an odd look, full of questioning and wonder, but the king turned back towards the head financial advisor, who had begun to speak again.

"Now, that's all I have to say, Your Majesty. Any questions?"

"No Aizawa. Thank you." Soichiro calmly stated as he got up from his seat, "Raito, son, the next meeting is in an hour. I suggest you go and rest first, alright?"

"...Yeah."

The advisors and councilmen left the office, and Raito headed towards his room of choice, the library. He needed some solitude after that **wonderful **experience.

OoOOOooOOOOOoOOOOOOOOoOOOOOooO

"So...you're telling me your sister destroyed your step-brother's certificate that states that he's a noble, and she's blackmailing and threatening you two so you can't say anything?"

"Yes! Exactly! She says if we tell anyone, they won't believe us, but they'll believe her! Which is true, everyone in Kanto loves her."

"And now L's a servant..." Matt said wistfully, more to himself than the other man.

"Yes, yes, that's what I've been trying to tell you!" Mello almost shouted at the red-head.

"...Show him to me."

"Huh? Wha-"

"If you want me to believe you, show him to me." Matt ordered, standing up.

With a sigh, Mello nodded towards the basement stairs, and the other followed. When both had descended about halfway, the blonde put out his arm to the left to block the other from going any further.

"That's him, so now do you believe me or what?!" The chocolate fiend whispered, careful not to disturb the sleeping man.

"Holy shit, you weren't lying! He's-" Mello had to clamp a hand over Matt, whose voice was reaching higher decibels by the second. It seemed to work, for L just rolled over, mumbled something about cheesecake, and was soon snoring lightly.

With his hand still over the other's lips, the Misora boy calmly led the goggle-wearing man back up the stairs and to the flower-printed couch.

"So, you believe me or what?!"

"...Yeah, I do. What I can't believe is how hard Raito has fallen for your brother."

"Oh, he has? I figured as much."

"Yes, he did." Matt took out a cigarette from the packet in his jeans; he offered one to Mello, who heartily refused.

"So...are you, you know, going to tell him?" The blonde asked the other male.

"Nah. One, Raito wouldn't believe me. Two...he wouldn't believe me." Matt shook his head in resignation, "But this needs to get solved before someone gets hurt or worse...you know that, right?"

"Hell yeah! L might get killed for this if it comes to light...no pun intended on His Highness..." Mello said with a light chuckle.

The videogame lover let out a laugh as well, "Well look at that, you do have a sense of humor! Here I thought you were just, you know, stuffy."

"...Shut it, goggle-boy." Mello glowered at the other boy.

"Hey, hey, take it easy...Heh...yeah, there's another reason I'm not going to say anything."

"...If it has something to do with me or my looks, I swear I'll-"

"No, well, yes your looks help, but no. From what you've told me, and Raito too, your brother seems like a nice guy; a good guy, morally righteous. So...I won't feed him to the wolves, the secret's safe with me."

"...Thanks. And here I thought you were just a heartless nerd!"

"..." Matt leered at the other, who just let out a laugh.

"God, you can't take a joke, can ya? Hehe..."

"No, I can take 'em. But they have to be good, pretty boy."

"...You know, you're a real jack-"

"Anyway, I won't let the cat of the bag when it comes to your brother, and I'll be nice and just play along. You know, act like I think he's a noble and all. Just don't tell L we met, okay? It...could be uncomfortable for him if he sees me and knows that I know about everything."

"You've got a deal, Matt."

An odd silence followed that statement, for Mello had hypothesized the other man would be on his way, and would leave the premises. But when the red-head didn't budge from his seat, and instead took out a hand-held videogame system and began to play it, Mello was officially weirded out.

"Um...are you-"

"Look, I've got time to kill. And you seem like a fairly decent and sane person, so tell me a little about your self, why don't ya?"

"Uh...sure..."

OoOOOoOOOoOOOooOOOoOOoOoooOoOOOOo

"Alright, now that we're all here, we can get started with this meeting, yes?" Hirokazu Ukita proclaimed with a tinge of disgruntlement in his tone, "As you've probably already have heard, foreign relations with other kingdoms have been going along smoothly, thanks to a lot of hard work and time and dedication." The man proclaimed, the cigarette in his mouth bouncing up and down as he spoke, "And they will contiune to do so, if I have anything to say about it!" Plumes of smoke willowed in the air from the short man's source of nicotine, dancing a ballet of unusual sorts.

Raito hated the foreign relations meetings the most, for one simple reason: Raito didn't like people. Okay, maybe that was a bad way of phrasing it. Raito...okay, yeah, in all honesty, Raito didn't like people, nor did he like dealing with them. Half of the time, they wined or complained about their lives, which usually were better than they let other on to believe, or the asked for things. Lots of things...

Dealing with others would be the one issue the young royal would have problems with come his time to ascend to the throne.

"Now, there's no particular nations or kingdoms we are dealing with, but, and this is a big "but" there is still one major criminal syndicate and one hostile murderer we are on the lookout for." Ukita sourly proclaimed. "There is still the Yotsuba Eight who is still at large, one of the top leading criminal syndicates in the kingdoms of Kisamari, Naneamas, and Helek. For the moment, they are charged with multiple murders, counts of fraud and robbery, and they may be connected to other murders throughout the land."

Raito inwardly sighed at the thought of a mass-murdering group still at large. How would he be able to handle that sort of thing when the time came? He was only twenty-one, wasn't that a lot of pressure for one man? Yes, he was one for fighting for justice and righteousness, but...still...he wasn't looking forward to that part of the job.

_Maybe L could help me...he's very smart...and-ugh, Raito, stop thinking about him...! Look what happened at the last meeting!... And besides, the only way he could help you is if you and him get mar-no, don't go there..._

"We are working with Naneamas and Helek to finally stop these men, and also that other murderer. We have no sure identity on this other murderer, but all we can say is that he is vicious with his killings. Ryuk-san will inform you of more information about him, ladies and gentlemen, later on at the meeting on Kisamari's crime and crime rate. Now, if you'll open your packets to page three, we can discuss the latest treaty between Kisamari and-"

The young price opened his packet of reports, glancing at the copy of the treaty the older man was speaking of. The long list of agreements, clauses, and rules seeped into the brunette's brain, but they held little concretion there. For Raito's mind was somewhere else, again...

_"Is Raito-kun going to join me?" L asked innocently, his black-gray eyes wide with amusement._

_"L...I-"_

_"The water is quite cool, Raito. Won't you join me?" The raven was referring to the aqua-blue colored swimming pool he was currently residing in. Crystal sky blue tiles encrusted with small topaz and diamond jewels were all around the outer edges of the pool, and the swimming room itself, for the royals had much taste with their aristocracy. A mural of palm trees and sunsets lined the walls of the room, and the ceiling was completely made of glass, the type found in greenhouses. The whole room was ethereal and truly amazing._

_"L...I...I don't-"_

_"What, does Raito-kun not swim?" The younger male asked teasingly._

_"W-Wha!? I do! I just-" The brunette felt himself flush at the thought of swimming together...intimately...with this other man._

_"Then come here..." L whispered seductively, hypnotically, stretching out his hand slowly, enticing the older man to join him._

"Now, as for the treaty, it shouldn't cause any harm with Naneamas, they seem to approve of our alliance with Awerstan. To make sure all alliances stay in tact, we-"

_Raito's eyes became half-lidded and he stood up slowly; in seconds, he gently slid into the pool as if under some trance...but who could blame him? Those eyes, that voice...it was all too...too much!_

"All that you must do, Your Majesty, is meet with the King of all three kingdoms later on. We've set up a day; a week and three days from now on the thirtieth of-"

_"Mmm...Glad you could join me, Raito..." L whispered as he slid his bony arms around the others neck. "I've been waiting..."_

_The brunette glanced at the pale, thin body so close to his, and nodded. A minute later, after a gaze into each other's eyes, the prince lowered his lips to the others, softly kissing those luscious pale lips that were so full of warmth and life._

"And as for the recent embargo with Su-YhuDa, I'll let you take the next five minutes to read the paperwork, if that is alright with you gentlemen?" Ukita asked, and the council nodded in return. With a sigh, he took his place in his office chair, and gazed across from him, where the prince was located. He'd seen the young man open to the paperwork about the embargo, but as for if he was reading it, that idea seemed...unlikely. Those sepia eyes were looking at the paper...but the gaze within them seemed distant. Add to that the fact that Raito was licking his lips subtly as if he was tasting a delectable desert and that he had not even spoken a word since the meeting had begun, well...any moron could tell that something was on Raito's mind. And that something was probably dirty...

_"Hah...Raito..." L panted as the royal softly caressed the pale chest, tweaking a nub between his forefinger and thumb while he kissed the thin neck of his raven beauty. The younger male called out again and again, and Raito felt the undying pleasure erupting in his body. The water sashayed around them, following their every movement as they came towards the center of the pool._

Ukita continued to stare at the other male, hoping his firm gaze would attract the other's attention; unfortunately, that was to no avail.

"Raito-sama? Raito-"

_"Uwah! R-Raito!" L nearly screamed as the other heatedly kissed his chest and navel. The raven reached and grabbed one of Raito's tan hands, and dragged it towards his groin._

_"H-Huh?! You-You're not wearing a swimsuit?" The brunette gasped as he felt the other's unclothed member, and L replied with a shake of his head._

_"And you shouldn't be either..." L stated huskily, and tore the royal's suit right off his waist with a quick gasp, making the brunette groan._

"...Raito? Hey, Raito-" Now not only was Ukita calling the male's name, but so were some of the council members, who were becoming worried when the other did not respond.

_"...R-Raito...I want...Ah-" The raven grounded his hips into the other's both letting out a chorus of moans, and Raito continued to pump the other quickly._

_"Oh, L, L!"_

"Your HIGHNESS!" Came the shout from Ukita.

"ERU!!" Raito shouted at almost the top of his lungs, and all eyes turned to stare at him...for everyone wondered why the young royal had just shouted the letter "L" and why his face was a beet red. Raito had finally snapped out of his wonderful fantasy, and he immediately felt embarrassed. It didn't help that his own bodyguard was standing near by having a laughing fit.

"Hey, Raito, is that you're favorite letter?! Aha!" The lanky gothic male screeched.

"That's enough, Ryuk." Soichiro stated firmly. "Son, are you alright?"

"Um..." _NO, what do YOU think!?_ "Yes, I am fine..."

"Are you sure now, maybe you need to rest-"

"Really, father, I'm fine." The prince gave another charming smile.

"Son, you just shouted the letter "L" at the top of your lungs, I'm not completely sure that-"

"Clearly Otou-san, I did NOT say the letter "L". Why would I?" Raito hoped that he was faking it all well enough.

"...Son...Is there something you want to tell me?" The elderly king questioned suspiciously.

"No..." _I don't think he's ready to know about L yet...they were hoping, and are still hoping, that I go after some pretty air-head of a girl..._

With a resigned sigh, the king dropped the matter, against his better judgment of course, and once again seated himself.

"We can continue now, Ukita. Please, go on."

The head of foreign relations nodded, and began his next speech which concerned many a kingdom and a very colorful chart.

_Agh...!...That's it...I can't take it anymore...! Every moment, of every day...! God...I should have known that man would be the death of me..._

Raito calmly began to breathe in an out, in a silent mantra, hoping to regain his common sense. That didn't seem to work, though, for not five minutes later did the provocative image of L, stark naked, legs spread apart, beckoning Raito to take him...with great force. This caused the brunette to lie his head down on the table with a thud, and he let out a small whine, a small plea to the God(s) that someone of higher being would save his tortured soul...

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An Hour Later...11 o'clock AM

OoOOoOOoOOOOOOOOoooOoo OooOOoooOOOoooOOOOo

"Uh..."

"What?"

"Um...why are you still here?" Mello questioned.

"...Like I said, I've got time to kill."

"We've spent the last few hours talking...so why-"

"...'Cause you don't bore me like everyone else usually does." Matt quickly returned.

Silence for a few moments then...

"Look, I've gotta get L up, so-"

"Aw...you're kicking me out already? What about a date?" The red-head wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"...Leave, now...you psychotic gamer-slash-smoker-slash...whoever..."

With a sigh, and a "fine", Matt walked to the door, Mello following.

"See ya later, Blondie." Matt called with a smile, and as he opened the door, he quickly placed a small kiss on Mello's cheek.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" The blonde screeched like an angry bird.

"Like I said earlier..." Matt trailed off shyly, a light blush settling over his cheeks, "I've got a thing for cute, naive blonde boys..." A charismatic smile graced the young man's face as he exited the house; the red-head closed the door with a slam, leaving a lightly blushing and severely embarrassed Mello staring at the wooden door.

_What the...? What was up with that guy...well, at least he's on our side...and he's not that bad of a person...and he did say awhile ago he hoped we could be friends...not to mention, he's pretty cute for a-wait...since when did I think things like THAT...!? Wha-_

"Mello..." L called sleepily as he ascended the stairs, "Was someone at the door?"

"Eh? Oh, no...just a salesman. Wanted to sell us some crappy lawn service or something."

"...It's late, I'm sorry. I should have gotten up earlier, but I was...tired; I find that hard to believe though...but then again-"

"Hey, Misa's had you work like a dog for fourteen years, you needed the rest. You may have insomnia, but you're still human, L. And besides..." Mello walked closer to his step-brother and gave him a cheeky grin, "You were busy with the PRINCE last night...REALLY busy from the action I saw. Man, you guys were going at each other like-"

"..." The Glare of Doom© , one of L's many glares/looks, shot at Mello like the high-tech laser beam it could be based off of, cueing the blonde to shut his mouth.

"…Okay, okay, jeeze…Here, why don't I help you with the list of stuff Misa left for you to do, and your daily chores, alright? I mean, normally she's not here so I can't do anything, but why not help now?"

"Thank you," The raven replied, "By the way, where is she?"

"At the mall, oh and by the way, once you marry your boyfriend, you owe me two hundred bucks."

Mello should have seen that a mop, or a least a blunt object, was to be thrown at him the moment those words left his mouth; unfortunately, for him and his head, he did no such thing.

OoOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooOOOo

Hours later…..3 PM

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Heheheh….okay, well, now that we are all here, let's get started, alright?" Ryuk ordered the men surrounding the pine table in the largest of all the meeting rooms; The room was connected to Ryuk's suite on the castle's second floor, and the midnight painted walls and the votives holding candles that were lit at night showed the gothic males true personality.

"Soo…." The head man of the criminal justice department trailed off, sounding absolutely bored at the whole ordeal of having a stupid meeting, "As Ukita-san said earlier, we're working on finally catching the Yotsuba Eight…..there's not much more to say about them, except that they may be responsible for more murders and frauds and robberies than we already know of, possibly those from even the past decade, even longer. It's hard to tell. Anyway, these guys are vicious and have caused much agony to many, but there's another murderer we're worried about..."

"You mean that serial one?" One of the council members spoke up.

"Yeah….and we know they're all done by the same guy due to one clue he's been leaving. He's been cutting off the right ring finger of every single victim that's been found. And the mutilation that he does to the bodies….well, maybe you should just take a look."

Ryuk flipped a switch and all eyes turned to the projection in the room, and the gothic man began to go through a series of gruesome pictures, each one more disgusting and vomit-wrenching than the last; Raito wondered how much more he could take, but the slide show ended a moment later, and the head man of the department flipped the lights back on.

"So, as you can see, there are ten victims in all. All ten have had their ring fingers cut off, eight have had their eyes poked out, six dead by stabbing, three killed by gun wounds, and two by strangulation. Five have had either one or both arms cut off, while the other five have had one or both legs cut off. He's left bruises and scratches in all of them, and has cut them enough to leave blood everywhere. And…..there's a message…"

This got Raito's attention and having not said anything for hours, he finally spoke up.

"What message?" A simple question, but in all honest, it needed to be asked.

"He's using the victims' blood to spell something, something we don't know of yet; letters spelled out in blood have been found at each scene."

There was silence, and then….

"What are they, Ryuk-san?" Soichiro asked the question all seemed too afraid to ponder.

"I….W….A….N….T…L….A…W….L….I..."

"'I want….Lawli?' That doesn't make any sense….I'm guessing then you don't think he's done." The prince asked his bodyguard.

"No, far from it. I asked my assistant to look up the word "Lawli" in the family registry, but no match. We figured he was after someone, but we've reached a dead end."

"Well, what if there **is **a family that goes by the name "Lawli"? What then?" Raito asked.

"Hmmm…well, then they'd have to be dead, or it's a nickname, which **really** doesn't help us. And you know the rules: if an entire family dies or goes into servitude, they're deleted from the system, right Your Majesty?"

Soichiro nodded, "Yes, and no one can remember any individual family in that registry. There are hundreds of thousands, almost on the verge of millions, of people in Kisamari, Naneamas and Helek."

"You bring up a good point, Your Majesty: six people, three men, three women, were residents that were killed here, but the rest were residents of Kisamari but they were killed in Naneamas or Helek while they were visiting relatives in those kingdoms."

"Ryuk, where is the criminal justice department going from here?"

"….In all honesty Sire, we're at a lost. We've thought about looking in the registry of murder victims, but we don't think it will help. Unless he spells out "I want Lawli's killer" or something along those lines, we don't think looking there would do us any good."

"….Yes, well, please keep all of us updated alright? This is a serious matter, especially if the murders may continue."

"We're doing all we can. But anyway, let's move on to the latest criminals we **have** caught. In the last month-"

Raito continued to listen, but with feigned interest. Unsolved cases, especially those of the serial killer variety, always intrigued him and his psyche, and times before he had helped his bodyguard with the tougher cases; he took a mental note to pry more details out of Ryuk later.

_I bet L would love to hear about that case….he told me he wants to go into the law and criminal field….working with him…that would be amazing……oh, shut the hell up, Raito….! And look, you thought about him again...didn't you promise yourself you wouldn't do that anymore today…?!_

It was true; hours after that last "epic fantasy" as many might put it, Raito had sworn to go "mentally celibate" for the next few hours; that included no sexual fantasies about L, no **regular** fantasies about L, and no thoughts about L period.

Well….Raito's resolve had finally cracked like a two-hundred year old dam on a massive, overflowing river.

As Ryuk began to speak of the next month's scheduled executions, the brunette's mind began to wander again…..and do you want to take a guess where it went?

_"Mmm………..Raito….." The raven called quietly as the older man was kissing his neck and running a masculine hand down the pale one's chest._

_"….Yes L?"_

_"….Is Raito-kun just going to do foreplay?" Came the quiet question._

_"Hehe…Does L want something…." Here, the brunette leant down to the raven's ear, "More….stimulating and satisfying?"_

_In a quick motion, the prince grinded his bare hips into the other's and L let out an erotic moan._

_"Hah…yes….."_

_"Yes…what?"_

_"Yes PLEASE!" L begged shamelessly._

"So as you can see, we-" Ryuk cut himself off as his dark yellow gaze wandered over to the one under his protection. Raito's eyes were glazed over (again…was this not the third time today?!) and his breathing was starting to become uneven. A light blush graced his tan cheeks like an angel's kiss.

_So…he's thinking like that again…hehehe….._

Ryuk thought it might be funny to play a little joke on his young master….

_"…Hah…ahn…R-Raito……"_

_"My, you're impatient tonight…" The prince commented with a chuckle as he caressed the younger man's beautiful ebony locks. The glow of the fireplace to their right just extenuated the man underneath him's beauty even more. Both were naked, the pleasurable feeling of skin on skin, with only a large blanket covering both of them. The whole sitting room was aglow with the senses of lust and love; any being could have stepped into that room and would have sensed intimacy abounding. _

Ryuk quietly walked over to stand behind the young royal, and when one of the council women was about to speak up, the Goth shushed the elderly woman with a quiet noise and a finger to his lips.

_"Ahhh…R-Raito…! H-Hurry…" L called as Raito ran back into the room, lube in hand. The brunette quickly threw off his royal blue robe, and climbed back onto the raven._

_"Yes...L….God…I…" He began to coat his fingers swiftly._

Ryuk tried to contain the giggles that were about to exploded from him as he readied his hands above the young man's shoulders.

_"AH! YES! RAITO! MORE! FASTER!" L screamed with passion and fire._

_"L…God, I…ahh!" The intense heat was so amazing, so wonderful……Raito continued to thrust in and out….._

The Goth's hands were inches above the other's muscular shoulders, ready to pounce.

_"L…I…" Raito continued to rock his hips and slam in and out of his lover. _

_"W-What…?"_

_"I just wanted to say…"_

"RAITO-SAMA!" Ryuk screeched at the top of his lungs as his bony hands landed with a thump on Raito's shoulders.

"AH! Eru! Aishiteru!" Raito yelled loudly, and Ryuk gasped aloud…before falling into a heap, sputtering out laugher and giggles.

"Ahaha! L** is** your favorite letter! Hah!"

The council was in a state of shock, but they too were holding back laughter. Raito felt his face heat up with pure, unfiltered embarrassment.

"Son, we need to talk. Now." Soichiro stood up, and grabbed his son's arm, forcefully dragging him out of his seat and into the hall.

The meeting room's door slammed with fury, and both father and son stood in the small hallway, awkwardly waiting for a conversation to begin.

"Son, I believe there's something you want to tell me."

The young brunette gave a shake of his beautiful head.

"Raito, unless you're having nightmares about Sesame Street again like you did when you were eight, there is something you need to tell me…"

"….Was it really called for to bring that up, Otou-san?" The young royal wondered why his father needed to bring up that part of his past; that dismal, grueling part of his history.

"Son, you just shouted out "L, I love you"…."

"Look, I can explain that-"

"And you've been distracted all day, like you're in-" The graying older man stopped, and he cursed himself for being so slow (he figured his age was catching up to him or something).

"Raito….oh, Raito, why didn't I see it before!?" The King bellowed in ecstasy, "You've met someone, congratulations!" Soichiro grabbed his son into a friendly bear hug, nearly depriving Raito of oxygen and sending the boy to an early demise.

"Uh…uh-huh…" Raito managed to squeak out, "Y-Yeah…."

"So? When do we get to meet her?!"

"Her?" _Damn….shouldn't have said that…._

"….Raito, this person…isn't female, is he?"

"….No. And look, you better accept that, father, because-"

"…Son, calm down. It's…." Soichiro stopped to let out a sigh, "Yes, your mother and I…we…we always hoped you would find a woman to care about, and to have a family with, but….if you'd rather have a man to stand by your side, so be it. We really can't stop you or change your mind, can we? You're too stubborn and once you want something, you know you rarely change your mind, don't you?"

"…" Raito was stunned into silence by his father's words, for he had expected the man to erupt like a volcano that had been dormant for a millennial.

"But I wished you had told us sooner! All those women that came here…." The older man shook his head, thinking about how much trouble and stress those bubbly girls had caused him and his family, "Then again, we should have seen it when none of the women interested you! Ahaha!"

"Yeah…ha-ha…"

"Soo….bring him over here tomorrow!"

"…..WHAT!?" The brunette screamed, and he was pretty sure that everyone else in the nearby room just jumped thirty feet.

"Bring him here, we want to meet him! Really, Raito, is there a problem with that?" The king smiled a tranquil smile at his son, oblivious to how nervous the young man was.

"Uh…." _Only the fact that you'll embarrass the hell out of me, no, there's no problem at all…!_ "No?"

"Good! Then he can come here for dinner tomorrow night! Now, let's get back in there, shall we?"

Raito only gave a small nod, too stunned into silence to give a proper answer.

_Great…he's coming here…to my home...we've only met twice before this, aren't you supposed to wait until what, the fourth or fifth date, before you go over to their parent's house…? Agh…and I'm still in __**that **__sort of mood after that last daydream…well…I could stop by unexpectedly….it would give me the chance to break the news to him before some guards or someone else showed up at his door tomorrow…that might just scare him off….Or maybe Matt could do it…? Hm…that's something to think about, but anyway, I can't take it anymore….I need to see him…_

_I need to see him tonight……_

OoOoooooooooooooooOOOOOOoOoOooOOOooOo

It was eleven o' clock when Misa had returned and had sent L to bed. The whole rest of the day had been uneventful; the raven had had many jobs to complete today, ranging from grocery shopping, washing windows, to working in the garden, cleaning the entire house, and cooking dinner. Thankfully, Mello had helped all day, and they had gotten done a lot quicker than when L did all the work on his own.

Now, it was late at night, and L was relaxing on his terrible, back-hurting "bed", a book in his bony hands that Mello had been able to sneak away from the library for him, a small lantern was lit next to the raven, casting a calm glow over the whole basement.

The peaceful serenity was interrupted as Mello came pounding down the stairs, trying to be as silent as he could; and for Mello that was truly difficult.

"L!" The blonde man whispered to the other.

"Hm? Yes, Mello?"

"Lover-boy's here!"

"…What?" L figured Mello couldn't mean what he thought he meant…it would be too…out of the blue and unrealistic.

"Yeah, I'm serious! Raito's here, he's outside my window! I heard him throwing stones at it; I guess he thinks that's your room or something, and I looked out another window and I saw it was him! But anyway, what do we do?"

"….Is Misa asleep?"

"Are you kidding, she's snoring like a wild animal. So-"

L had already gotten to the stairs by the time Mello spoke up again, and he hurried to the chocolate fiend's bedroom, but carefully, for he didn't want to wake the blonde banshee in the other room, so he tiptoed slowly pass her domain, and sped up again once the distance between him and her was safe enough.

The ebony-locked male threw back the curtains of Mello's large window once he arrived at his destination, and yes, there stood Raito Yagami, whose expression went from surprise at the sudden appearance of L, to one of pure bliss not a second later.

L slowly creaked open the door, carefully, for any noise could awaken any being asleep.

"…Raito-kun? What…what are you doing here?" Came the quiet whisper.

The brunette just smiled and placed a hand to his ear, pretending to not hear the younger male.

With a groan, the servant boy knew what he had to do. He saw the nearby ivy growing along the side of the wall, and athletically and with much dexterity, he began to climb down from the second floor.

Landing with a quiet thud, L walked over to the young royal.

"Now, what are-mmph!"

Raito had cut him off when he pulled him into a heated kiss, a tan hand running through the tresses he had longed to touch all day, while another crawled up the younger one's white cotton shirt, touching the porcelain skin beneath it with soft caresses.

Lips parted a moment later, after Raito's wet tongue licked at the other's lips one last time.

"Well…that answer's my question as to why you're here, but as to how…"

The prince twined his arms around L's neck distractingly, and with a cheeky smile, stated,

"Oh, how I got here? Well, my bodyguard drove me out here after I snuck away from the castle; we parked a few miles back, I didn't want to disturb anybody, and I talked to a farmer who lent me a few horses I just told him I needed to visit someone privately without causing a scene, and so I rode out here quietly….so now, you and I could have some quiet alone time." The brunette placed a small kiss on the raven's cheek, causing a mild blush to grow.

"Huh? Bodyguard? Horses? Farm?" All of the information was scrambling in L's confused and less-than-wanting-to-believe brain.

"Yeah, see?"

Raito pointed to a nearby tree, where three horses stood next to tall, dark, and equally scary-looking male, whom L guessed was the bodyguard the prince had referred to. The tall man laughed wheezy at the sight of the young men, and L heard him mutter, "…Crazy kids…so sex-driven…"

"Um…Raito?"

"What is it, princess? Never ridden a horse before? C'mon." The brunette teased, and he found it so cute when the younger man gave a very deep pout.

"I am no princess Raito-kun. And yes, I have ridden a horse before." L huffed, recalling many years ago when Naomi Misora had owned a horse, and had taught L to ride him.

"Well, then, after you Rapunzel, who so wonderfully climbed down from his window, even though he didn't use his hair….or should I say Sleeping Beauty, since it took me almost ten minutes to wake you up. Hmm…ow!" L had playfully punched the other in the arm, and acrobatically hopped up onto the white steed that the bodyguard offered him.

"Uh…hehe…I guess you do know how to ride…"

"Does Raito-kun think I am that feminine that I would be unable to ride a horse?"

"Um…Hey, wait up!" The raven had already ridden off into the woods, and Raito hurriedly clambered upon his pinto mare, and he rode off after L, after giving the order to Ryuk not to follow.

For he knew Ryuk would be the type to….

OoOOOoOOOoOOOooOOOoOOoOoooOoOOOOo

"…So, how'd you find this place?" Raito questioned the secret servant boy, while he ran his hand through the midnight tresses of the man next to him. They had taken up to cuddling near the lake, with clothes on mind you, Raito wasn't some slut, and the peaceful atmosphere was wonderfully intoxicating.

"Hm? Oh, I found it when I was six…wandered away from the house, and I just stumbled upon it."

"…I like it..it's quiet here."

L gave a small nod, and nuzzled his face into the crook of Raito's neck, feeling the soft touch of the tan skin against his cheek.

"Raito-kun?"

"Hm?"

"So…what are we? As, you know…what's our relationship's official name?"

"Huh?! Um, well..." Raito sat up as he felt the heat rush back to his face again for the infinite time that day, "We're uh…you know…we're-"

"We're…what?"

"Agh, we're together alright! Boyfriends, okay!" The prince turned his head away in embarrassment, again, for the infinite time that day, "I just…I want…I want to be with you." He whispered quietly.

"…Raito…." L was shocked at the revelations. Sure, he figured he and the prince were technically "together", but to hear it come from the other's mouth like that, it was truly shocking and heart-stopping. And to hear Raito admit that he wanted to be with him….fear and joy fought in L's heart once that had been proclaimed.

"Look, if you don't want to do this, that's fine, really, I just….and I can tell my parents that-"

The raven cut him off with a chaste kiss to the older man's full pink lips.

"If I did not feel the same, I would not be here with you Raito-kun."

"Oh, uh, yeah….hehe…"

Both men got comfortable again, and L moved his head to Raito's chest as their legs intertwined almost automatically with each other. One of the prince's hands laid in L's hair and one found its home on the bony, thin shoulders of the other. The quarter moon shone brightly above the lake, casting an aura of romance and happiness and even mystery all around the body of water, adding to the serenity already in place.

"…What did Raito-kun mean when he said "I can just tell my parents"? You did not finish your sentence, and what did that sentence mean in the first place, Raito-kun?"

And there went the serenity….exploding into little bits like an atom bomb.

"Ha-ha…well, you see, um…I kind of told my dad about you…."

"…" L was silent and showed no emotion on the outside, but in his mind, he was screaming.

"And well…he'd like to meet you…tomorrow…for dinner…at the castle…"

"…Oh?" _Damn, damn, damn…! What the hell?! This was not supposed to happen, it wasn't..! You weren't supposed to fall in love, you weren't supposed to get this close, and you certainly were __**not**__ supposed to get close enough to where you'd have to like to the King…! L, what did you do…!?_

"So…I mean, if you don't want to come….I guess I could…"

"Does Raito-kun wish for me to come? Would…would it make you happy?" _Because, for some odd reason, in my heart….that's what is most important right now…seeing you happy, seeing you smile…I never used to be like that…no one mattered but myself….but now…you've resurrected my heart somehow, Raito….._

"Yeah, I'd love for you to come! I mean, I've seen your house and family, and…I kind of want you to see mine…" Raito could feel the tension and nervousness bubble around them like a witch's brew.

"…Then I will come." _Even though it might just kill me….._

"Really? Wow, thank you-I mean…I'm happy you can, and…" Raito trailed off, giving a seductive smile as he whispered, "Maybe you can even stay the night..?"

"…Um…" L bit his pointer finger's nail out of nervousness, an angel's kiss of a blush beginning to bloom, and Raito laughed.

"Well, we'll see tomorrow, right? My friend Matt will come and pick you up tomorrow, okay? Around five?"

The raven nodded and sat in his peculiar crouch as Raito stood up and stretched.

"I better get going before someone realizes I'm gone and they alert the entire royal army to hunt me down." He joked to the other man and he bent down so he was directly across from the other man.

"Until tomorrow…L…" Raito whispered as he quickly kissed the raven, lingering long enough so the wonderful and peculiar taste of the other could be tasted and wallowed in.

"…Good evening then, Raito-kun."

The prince nodded, and hopped on his horse, and galloped softly into the night.

Leaving a worried L to stand there, alone in the moonlit night, the soft swish of the lake's waves the only thing to keep him company.

As he headed back home he wondered what would happen first: Whether he would be hanged due to the fact that he lied to the entire royal family, or would Raito and he make love come tomorrow, for he knew that was what the other meant by "staying the night".

Or perhaps L should have wondered which one would happen at all….? Even he, possibly the smartest man in Kanto, did not know……

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A/N: Wow…really long chapter! But I hoped you enjoyed it.

Anyway, the whole Yotsuba men/serial murder ordeal: important stuff, remember it come later on. It'll be brought up again, trust me.

So, reviews are welcomed very, very much. Oh, and go to my profile! There's a poll there concerning the story, and I need YOUR opinions!

Thanks for reading, love you all! :D


	6. Dinner for Six, Bed for Two

…A/N: Hello again Readers! Who are indeed very lovely…... :D

Welcome back to the fairy tale, and thanks so much for all of the lovely reviews and for participating on my poll, which is still open if you have not seen it yet. Thanks so much, and please enjoy!! It is quite long, over eleven thousand words, but I'm sure you will still have fun and get a few laughs! And maybe even a nosebleed! ; D

Also, there are Japanese translations for words at the end! Please enjoy!

_OoooOOOoOOOOOOoOOoOOoOOOOOoOOoo_

…_Pass me a bottle, Mr. Jones  
Believe in me  
Help me believe in anything  
I want to be someone who believes………_

_Mr. Jones and me tell each other fairy tales  
Stare at the beautiful women…_

_Smiling in the bright lights_

_Coming through in stereo_

_When everybody loves you, you can never be lonely……_

……_And I want to be someone to believe…_

_But when everybody loves me, I'm going to be about just as happy _

_As I can be!_

_"Mr. Jones" - Counting Crows_

_OoOOOOOoOOOOooooOOOOOOOOOOOOoooOOOOo_

Mihael Keehl….was a **genius.**

Okay, **maybe** that was a step too far. Mello thought of himself as smart, with high intellect and street smarts. He knew how to take action, he knew how to create plans (diabolical and otherwise) and he knew how to prepare for the worst of any situation.

But there was one key notch in the soul and body of Mihael that made him not a genius:

Half the time his cockamamie plans backfired.

Mello had always looked at L his much respect, but with a tinge of jealousy in there as well.

For whatever L planned, it never backfired. **Never**. The childish antics they had participated in as youthful souls had always worked in L's favor; that is, until Misa destroyed everything with her inane jealousy.

Not only was L better at planning things out, his own intellect was far beyond Mello's; as in a galaxy's distance farther than Mello's. L was solving complicated geometry and calculus by the age of three, for God's sake, how could he compete with that?! L was reading Shakespeare and understanding it completely by the age of four; again, not even a contest!

Mello knew deep in his heart he would always be in second place when compared to L, he'd known that from the beginning. L had the options, the dreams and the intelligence, while Mello….perhaps he had some of that, but not enough. It would never be enough, so the blonde boy didn't try to fight it; he kept working hard, kept trying, but he knew deep down he could never catch up to L.

Maybe that's why a tiny part of Mihael's cynical side laughed at L the day his certificate burned, but Mello would never admit that to any being. And it had only been for a second that that dark side of the boy had laughed in triumph, for now L was nothing, and could be nothing, that was what his other side had proclaimed.

But in seconds, Mello buried that side, and he felt even more ashamed of his actions, his thoughts. Those thoughts were buried away in his mind for eternity, they would never be brought up, He still remembered them, spurring his conscience on even more, even further. L was the last person he had, and was such an influence, such a companion to him, that Mello would sacrifice everything to make this right.

And now, Mello was hoping his planning would work just as L's used to as he dialed Mail Jeevas' number. The blonde could only hope that the raven had somehow rubbed off of him, because this plan could not backfire……. for his dear brother's life was on the line.

OoOoooooooooooooooOOOOOOoOoOooOOOooOo

"Hey, Cutie….didn't expect you to call me so soon." Matt joked as he picked up the cell phone. He'd seen the caller ID; it was Mihael Keehl from the day before. They had traded phone numbers at the end of their meeting….well, it was more along the lines of Matt pouting and asking cutely for Mello's number, and Mello finally giving in, but demanding the red-head's phone number as well, but Matt had no qualms with that at all.

"Shut it Game-Boy, we've got a problem." Was the instant reply with a caustic tone.

"Yeah, what?" The red-head had expected a friendlier call, for could not the blonde see Matt was interested in him? Perhaps it came off as playful teasing, but couldn't Mello see that the other was being truthful? _Stupid boy…_ Matt shook his head, _One day he'll see…_

"You're supposed to come over here, right? To pick up L around five o' clock, right?" _Well, he gets right down to business…_ Matt pondered.

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Misa's here, man, and she' not leaving Matt. I can't get her to leave." The blonde sounded distressed, and Matt secretly thought that was somewhat of a turn-on…it seemed his royal best friend was having a large, perverse influence on him.

"Nothing? You've tried everything? Even clothes and perfume? Girls love that crap."

Mello scoffed on the other end, "Well, yeah, I tried all of that, but it didn't work; most likely due to the fact that she went on a freaking shopping spree with my money yesterday." The blonde sighed, and was silent.

"Well, you got another plan or what? I'm showing up in one of the royal Mercedes too…Raito insisted."

"Damn…..and she's not in a good mood either. I'm outside, and she's watching L like a hawk, I can see it from the window."

"…Well, think of something genius!" Matt proclaimed softly, careful not to alert anyone he was out in the gardens talking with someone.

"…Wait, I think I have an idea. It's a little crazy, but it might just work."

"Well spill it beautiful, we're running out of time."

Mihael growled at him, but began to tell Matt of his plan, and the red-head gasped at it.

"That might work! Heh, you are pretty smart, you gotta give yourself more credit, Mells."

"Hehe….thanks. Just don't forget it, alright? L's life is on the line here."

"Yeah, yeah, I know… Jeeze, how dumb do you think I am?"

Mello let out an intoxicating chuckle on the other end, and something stirred inside Matt. A few moments of silent passed, and the goggle-wearing man spoke again.

"So….where are you?" He whispered in a seductive tone.

"I said outside, man. Clean out your ears!" He heard Mello make some noise, and hypothesized he was taking a drink.

"So….what are you wearing?" Again, it came in a whispered seductive tone.

Coughing and spitting erupted from the other end of the conversation, and Matt had to repress a fit of giggles.

"Matt, I am **NOT **having phone sex with you."

"Aw, come on……when's the last time you got any ac-"

CLICK……….then a dial tone.

The young red-head laid his head against the tree he was seated beneath with a sigh.

_Stupid naïve boy…he doesn't even see it…he doesn't see what I see…_

_Yet…_

OoOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooOOOo

**"YOU DID WHAT?!"** Misa screeched at the top of her lungs, and L thought his eardrums blew out, and that a part of his soul died; but of course, he said nothing, and continued dusting the fireplace.

"I lent L out to a man who needed a servant's services." Mello smoothly replied, his face giving away nothing. At that comment, the raven's ears perked up, and he tilted his head somewhat so he could hear the conversation taking place in the kitchen better.

"BUT I DIDN'T GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO DO THAT!!" The blonde "princess" yelled back.

"So? L is both of ours! And besides, the man said he'd pay us. Besides, Misa, the guy's a friend of mine, and he said he would pay us handsomely. Also, L hasn't gotten out of here in a while; it would give him some new scenery. And-"

"Pay us?" Of course, the ditzy blonde would only care about money, not about L or his surroundings.

"Ch'**yeah **he said he would. And don't worry, L's only gonna be gone a day; he'll be back most likely late tonight."

Misa let out a dramatic sigh, and said, "Alright, he better be. I won't stand for him being late." L then heard Misa's stiletto shoes going upstairs with loud pounding, and seconds later, Mello ran to L's side.

"Mello, is this part of your plan you spoke of earlier? Because I want to go to Raito's and how can I if-" L quietly questioned.

"Yeah, trust me, L…..you'll be spending the evening with Lover-Boy soon enough." The blonde boy whispered and ruffled L's raven locks playfully.

The raven pouted at the term his step-sibling had used for his boyfriend, and proceeded to kindly "correct" Mello, but the blonde boy had already walked away from the sour young man, and L was left standing with a feather duster in his hand and a mental list of chores that still needed attending to.

Five minutes later, Mello returned with a cloth rag in his hands, and plopped it on the busy younger man's head whose hunched-over back was turned away from the blonde.

All L gave the other was a confused stare, and the chocolate-lover sighed in exasperation.

"Ya know? For your hair…? So you don't get dust in it?"

Ebony orbs blinked silently, the pale head tilted in confusion.

"L, you're going to meet the royal family! You should look after your appearance more, or at least **today** you should!"

"…Raito-sama enjoys the way I look now."

"Duh, I know that from the way he "attacked" your lips the other night. But what about his father and mother? What would **they** think?"

"…They would care?"

"…**HELL** YEAH THEY WOULD!" Mello clamped his hand down over his mouth, fearing Misa had just heard his outburst.

It was silent for a few moments, then…..

"God, Mello, keep it down, will you? I'm trying to read up here!" The blonde girl shouted.

"Heh. Read what, a fashion magazine? Oh, yeah, that's real literature." Mello muttered under his breath, and L smiled, for he had been thinking the same thing.

"Anyway, you should look nice for this, you know?"

"…I'd rather not go through the hassle of getting dressed or cleaned up for the royals." L stated firmly, but softly, closing the discussion; but of course, Mello had to get the last word in.

"Alright, fine. But what, your clothes gonna come off later anyway? Is that the reason?" He questioned with a cheeky smile that earned him a hit on the head with the feather duster from a blushing L.

_No…it's just that I fear I may wind up in jail or deceased before the night is through….so why bother going dressed as if I am there as a noble guest rather than a servant in disguise…?_

OoOOOOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooOOOOo

Five o' clock came quickly, the chiming of the mantle's clock alerting all in the Misora household of the time. By this time, L had finished his chores ahead of schedule (Mello had snuck around like a professional thief, helping the raven to finish early again), and the man with the ebony tresses was staring into the broken, dusty mirror and gazing at his reflection. He had tried to take Mello's advice of looking nice, so he had tried to comb out his hair….which had ended in utter failure due to multiple knots and just a large amount of frustration. How Raito enjoyed running his hands through L's hair, the younger man would never know.

Mello pounded down the steps not five minutes later, stating

"He's here…..and just go along with whatever's said, alright?"

L nodded, and proceeded to ascend the steps calmly, and Misa's voice became clearer as the distance receded.

"Have him back as soon as you can, I don't like letting him leave the premises. And he is a very hard, sturdy worker, so work him as hard as you want!" She chirped cheerfully. "So, about paying us for the service…?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'll pay ya. How's about a hundred dollars, is that good?" L could see the man talking with his step-sister was a red-head, and he hypothesized the man was around Mello's age from his looks. Goggles, possible green, adorned his face, and a cigarette was protruding from his lips.

Misa pouted at the low offer, "Well…..I guess so…." She was hoping, or a least L guessed she was, that if she tried to look cute, the man would raise the amount. Thankfully, whoever this person was, he wouldn't budge and was completely silent.

Then the blonde girl tried another tactic: seduction.

"Well…maybe if Ryuzaki-san goes on a date with me, he can have L help with the party you are throwing and all of your other chores for free!" The ditz flashed her eyelashes, and gave a cute smile.

The man again was not phased, "Sorry," He replied with a smile, "I'm taken." Then the man quickly gazed at something behind L, and after the red-head gave a small wink, the raven heard a noise from behind him, which turned out to be Mello. The servant-boy made a mental note to ask his sibling later if he was close to this "Ryuzaki", which L guessed was an alias, but Misa was too stupid to even notice.

The girl went back to pouting again, a gargantuan pout this time, and she huffed loudly.

"Fine then. **L**!!" She screamed and the raven winced.

"Right here," He coldly replied, "There is no need to shout."

"Don't speak to me like that!" She ran over to L and grabbed his arm in a vice-like grip, in an evil goddess fashion, and tugged him back over to the man at the door. "Mello lent you out to this man for the evening and night. Do whatever he says, or there will be HELL to pay when you get back, got it?!"

"…Yes, Misa-san." He resignedly agreed, and not a second later, Misa shoved him towards "Ryuzaki", who caught him by the arm as well and silently lead him out the door and led him towards a black Mercedes….the same one from the day before when Raito had taken him out.

"Get in." The red-head ordered, opening the passenger side door for the insomniac, who gracefully climbed in, sitting in his crouch as "Ryuzaki" slammed the door, hopped in on his side, and started the car, taking off not a moment later.

The ride was silent for some time, perhaps fifteen, twenty minutes, when finally the driver spoke up.

"The name's not Ryuzaki by the way."

"Oh, I figured that, sir. The way it was stated, it sounded as if it was an alias." L replied, not even gazing at the other man, instead staring out the windshield ahead of him.

"Heh…I heard you were smart; seems only you and Mello got the brains in the family."

L blinked at the mention of his step-brother, "So you **do **know of my brother? And I am to also assume you are Raito-sama's friend who is driving me to the castle then?"

"Yep. Name's Mail Jeevas; call me Matt though." The red-head ordered as he sped up the vehicle due to the increased speed limit.

"…Jeevas. That name sounds familiar….." L trailed off, delving into his memory, trying to find traces of the name from events he had read of long ago.

"…You've, uh, you've probably heard of my parents. Anyway, I'm not important at the moment, what matter, or I guess I should say who matters, is **you**."

"I? Why myself? I understand because I am meeting Raito-sama, but is there another reason, Matt-san?"

The young driver was silent for a moment, contemplating whether he should speak of what he and the blonde Misora boy spoke of a day ago. It was a tough choice to make, and what was more important was how to approach the subject matter in the first place.

"…You're important right now because of the fact that you're not Misora, and Raito doesn't know otherwise."

Yes, Matt had decided to go the blunt route. The **very** blunt route…..

L showed no expression once the words had been stated by Matt; he still stared blankly ahead, but inside his own mind an Armageddon of chaos and worry was erupting.

"…I have honestly no idea what you speak of Matt-san, perhaps your information is false or mistaken. You-"

"Cut the crap, L. Mello told me everything."

L's stoic stare was finally broken, for his head whipped around and his midnight eyes locked with the red-head's crystal blue.

"What did he say?" L's low tone was still the same baritone, but his eyes shone with worry, fearing now that somehow, this man planned to execute him before he even got to the castle.

"Don't worry about it. Calm down, L. Look, he told me about Misa and burning your certificate and everything. He also told me all about you, and don't worry I trust you. I'm on your side." Matt hurriedly explained to the man next to him, whom looked like he was about to faint from shock or have a heart attack.

"…"

L was silent; staring at the other man, all traces of emotion had once again vanished. "I find it hard to believe you can just trust me like that."

"Mells said you weren't a very trusting guy, and I guess I can understand that after all the crap you went through. But trust me, as long as you don't hurt Raito, I won't do anything to you."

"Hurting Raito-sama is the last thing I would want to do." L softly replied, repulsed by the prospect.

Matt smiled at the man, "I can see that, and Mello told me the exact same thing. You look like a good guy; you're just stuck in an odd position. He didn't tell me your last name though….want to share?"

"I'd rather not; it would do no good anyway. Mello doesn't know my last name, I never told him, and most likely Misa has forgotten it, her brain being like a sieve. "

"Yep, I got that impression…don't worry, one day you'll share your name with us, or at least Raito…you know, you should tell him who you really are, I'm sure he'd be understanding. He's pretty much head over heals for you, you know." Matt pulled up to a red light, flicked out his cigarette, and lit up another one quickly just as the light turned green.

"I know I should," L replied quietly, "But how can I? He would hate me…..most likely kill me. You know he hates…us."

Matt nodded at the word "us", "He's a stubborn man, and I know that, but give him a chance. Raito has been known to come around with a little coaxing." The red-head smiled, hoping to pry some hopeful spirit out of the raven seated next to him, but all he got was a small, if not sad, smile.

"Perhaps. I do doubt it though…"

"…We've still got a little ways to go, you have anything you want to ask me?"

"…You are Raito-sama's best friend, yes?" L asked, turning his owlish stare to the other.

"Ch'yeah." Matt smirked, "You want to know some juicy stuff? Rumors? Behavior? Favorites and dislikes? Childhood traumas? Traumas taking place now, what's your poison, L?" Matt moved his eyebrows, his eyes alight with mischief, and L chuckled at the remarks and words.

"How about all of the above?" The raven smirked as well, and he knew the rest of the drive was to an en"light"ening experience.

OOoOoOOoOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooOOo

An hour and a half later, the large black Mercedes pulled up to the castle's circular driveway, and L, now with a boatload of new information on his boyfriend, still could not help ogle at the castle's majestic qualities. The shining white bricks and marble on the outside glistened in the setting sun. Two rows of guards, standing like stone statues, lined the cobblestone pathway to the large door, which Matt and L had begun walking the moment they had stepped from the car.

With a tired sigh, the red-head pulled a long rope cord, and a bell could be heard chiming through the castle walls…..along with screams and shouts a moment later.

"Doorbell! I'll get it!" L recognized it to be the voice of Sayu Yagami, and pounding footsteps could be heard.

"Sayu, don't!" This time it was Raito, "It's L, **I'll **get it!" Another set of pounding footsteps could be heard as well.

"L?! As in L, L?! Your boyfriend?! Then I **have** to get it!! Move out of the way, slowpoke!" The sound of something hitting the wall, and a muffled groan, caught L's ears.

"Sayu, what the hell?! Don't shove me against the wall! And no, I'll get it!"

"Nuh-uh! I want to greet him first!"

"Why?!"

"…Just because!" L could hear the footsteps getting louder, and most likely closer, and the young girl's giggles could be heard as well.

"Dammit, Sayu, you're such a pain in the-AGH!" A large crashing sound could be heard, along with multiple groans of pain, and both the red-head and the raven standing at the door gave each other a wary look and grimace.

"Who left this DOLL here on the stairs!? I nearly** killed** myself!" They heard Raito scream.

"Uh….sorry? Hehe…" Sayu could be heard saying, and the pair of footsteps continued their loud march to their destination, until…..

BANG

SLAM

"Raito?! What are you-!?"

SLAM

CLICK

Not a moment later did Raito appear at the door, flinging it open with a smile on his face and his brunette locks a little frazzled.

"H-Hey, L, I-AGH!" Raito had been trying to look cool and collected by leaning against the door frame….it would have helped if he had actually lent against the door frame and not just thin air, for then he probably wouldn't have fallen on his princely ass in sleek embarrassment.

"Raito-kun!? Are you alright?!" The raven ran over to the grounded male, and tried to lift him up off the tiled floor.

"Uhh….yeah, I just-"

"L-KUUUUUUNNNNN!" A friendly shout echoed throughout the entrance hall, and before L had any time to react, he found himself on the ground in a friendly hug-slash-tackle.

"S-Sayu-chan?" L wheezed out as he was nearly hugged to his untimely, no-air like demise.

"YEAH!! AND YOU'RE HERE!!" The young girl shouted in the raven's ear, and the secret servant feared deafness was on the horizon.

"Sayu?! What the hell? Didn't I lock you in the closet?!" The price pointed to the wooden door leading to said closet, which was hanging on its hinges……barely.

"Um….I broke it down?" The princess gave an innocent smile, and a cute giggle.

Raito groaned, and after ordering the young woman to get off his boyfriend again, and her firmly refusing, she calmly stated,

"Raito, you're just jealous that I got him underneath me first……" Sayu smirked, "Since we all know you want to tackle him and rip off his-"

"SAYU!" For once it was not Raito's voice bellowing throughout the castle walls, but his father; Soichiro appeared in the doorway to what L estimated to be the dining hall.

"Get off of our guest, Sayu….." The man ordered his daughter, and with a pout, the girl complied; Raito internally thanked his father for the excellent timing, for Sayu's next words could have ended everything right then and there…….not that they were false, but really, did L need to know that **now?**

The prince lifted up the raven, whom was finally catching his breath.

"I am so sorry, L. Sometimes I just can't control her, you know?"

"It is alright, Raito-kun. She is just very excited, yes? And that has to be the warmest greeting I've ever received."

The brunette royal smirked, and pulled L closer to him, "Well, I could show you a warmer one…." He whispered.

"Really?" The ebony-eyed man returned the smirk, twining his arms around Raito's neck, "Do show….."

L felt the other's lips gently touch his; calmly, soothingly kiss him; the raven returning the affection with full, loving force. He sighed into the kiss, and melted against the royal who was holding him tightly, one hand on his nearly-feminine waist, another on his actually-for-once straight back, having to straighten himself to reach the prince at a good, comfortable height, and Raito realized the other was about the same height as him….but that wasn't what was really on his mind at the moment.

Nothing was stopping Raito from lifting the other into his arms and carrying him off to the bedroom to ravish the raven more, except….

"Ahem." The king was still standing in the doorway to the dining hall, along with his wife and daughter, and Matt. "AHEM!"

With a sigh, the royal broke away, shooting a glare in his family's direction, and at Sayu, who had….a camera?

"Ha-ha…that is SO going on my Myspace, Raito...I didn't even need to use the flash!"

The brunette felt a twitch envelope his right eye as Sayu retreated into the hall, dragging Matt with her, "C'mon Matty! You're eating with us too, and really, would you want to miss this?!"

L was still in Heaven from the kiss, and when he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder, he awoke from his reverie, and turned to face the King.

"Ah, Your Highness...I apologize for the voracious display in front of you. And I thank you for inviting me."

"Haha, don't worry about it….that **was** my son's doing after all. And of course I would invite you; I've heard many a things about you L…." The older royal smiled, and Raito internally groaned, knowing of the "things" spoken about L were what he had shouted during the meetings yesterday….**hopefully** those would not get mentioned at dinner.

"And I apologize for my attire…..it is just what I feel more comfortable in daily."

"O…Of course." Soichiro calmly stated with a smile, and although he questioned the clothing, for it resembled that of servants and slaves, he knew, with the utmost confidence, that his son had not brought home one of them; He knew of his son's hatred of the lower class, and though he had tried to change his son's views somewhat, the young man was as stubborn as a bull, and would not budge.

"Then please, L, join us." Soichiro smiled, and headed back towards the dining hall, his wife entering the room as well.

L wasn't sure how to proceed, whether to follow the King or wait for Raito and follow him; the worry must have been somewhat visible on his face, for not a moment later did he feel Raito's hand envelop his.

"Come on...you can sit next to me." The prince softly spoke, and led the younger one to the hall, both smiling gentle smiles to the other.

OoOoooooooooooooooOOOOOOoOoOooOOOooOo

L knew people always stared at him, he supposed he was an "odd duck" compared to others; though, he was never unnerved by any of the stares he had received before.

But when the King and Queen couldn't help but blatantly stare at him when he got into his normal crouch on the dining chair, the raven could not but help worry that he was making a bad impression.

He gave a glance at the young royal next to him, who was also staring, but even L could tell that stare was dreamy and wistful, with a small smile on that wonderfully-built tan face.

Well, at least the raven was making a good impression on **someone**……..

The courses began to arrive elegantly, with a squadron of servants elegantly dressed to perfection arrived with silver platters of salads to all members at the table.

The raven blinked rapidly, staring at the leafy greens before him. He should have known…this was a **dinner**, not a dessert buffet. He'd have to eat **everything,** no matter how much he loathed the food. He'd been so nervous about the King and the royals he had placed the "food issue" at the back of his mind.

A comforting hand rested itself on L's thigh, gently patting it, and the raven turned to the young man next to him, who forlornly looked at him. Raito had tried to get L a special menu for the dinner, but the head chefs had not believed his tale of "L usually only eats sweets". With a comforting squeeze, the hand left to return to it's master's side, and L missed the touch as he began to eat the salad with a disheartened feeling.

_It's…not terrible…it's better than the scraps Misa has given me…oh, well…maybe they shall have dessert… _

It was quiet for a few moments, until Sayu spoke up.

"Raito, you're lucky…you've got a nice boyfriend……while I'm stuck with Mom and Dad trying to hook me up with HIM." The young woman groaned.

"Aw, c'mon Sayu, is he really **that **bad?" Raito returned, and in his mind, he smiled; he **was **lucky….L was perfect.

"YEAH!!" She screamed and the royal husband and wife winced at the shout, and L blinked calmly.

"Excuse me for asking," The raven piped up quietly, "But….is Sayu-chan with a boy? If I am intruding, I apologize, I-"

"Oh, no, L-kun, don't worry about it." The princess gave a loud sigh, "My parents are trying to hook me up with this annoying man, who's years older than me! He's nineteen, and I'm fifteen!"

"Sayu," Sachiko reprimanded, "Lord Matsuda is a nice man….and he will protect you no matter the incident!"

"But Mooooom! He's weird and crazy and-"

"Isn't Lord Matsuda the man who helped crush the rebellion of the irate soldiers in Helek?" L piped up, then regretted speaking up in the first place. "I….I apologize, I did not mean to speak-"

"No, L, you're right." Raito spoke next, "He is that man who helped with that. And please, don't be afraid to speak up…." A gentle smile gleamed from the prince's face, sending L's heart racing.

"But he's still creepy! And I don't want to marry him!" Sayu screeched.

"Sayu, enough. You will not be marrying him for another two years, is that fine? It's perfectly legal and safe, and you will enjoy the time you will spend with Lord Matsuda." Soichiro was the next to firmly speak with his daughter.

That sadly, though, did not help the dinner conversation, as talk of Lord Matsu, as he was widely known as, continued booming throughout the dining hall, leaving a poor awkward L sitting there, eating a salad that was only partially enjoyable for a multitude of reasons.

It wasn't until a gentle tap on L's thigh that some comfort was released into the veins of the raven, and the servant felt something being pushed into the bony hand that was resting upon said thigh. A quick glance to the right at Raito who had a small smirk upon his face eased L's fears, and when the other's glances were not on him at all, he secretly opened the small folded piece of paper to reveal the message, that through some miracle, Raito had either written before or during dinner:

_Sorry dinner isn't great…_

_But I've got a special surprise for you afterwards…_

_One that we will both love…… _

Another glance at the prince, and L could see the heated chocolate gaze staring down the raven, a gaze that was as if Raito was undressing him with his soft, but passionate eyes.

L slyly glanced at the other as the salads were taken away, and replaced with a fish and meat dish so elegant; L had never even seen it before. He carefully bit into the piece of meat, and loathed ever doing so. The slave hated meat with a passion, he preferred plainer food, and that's why he immediately went to the fish, which wasn't as terrible as the meat, but still hard to consume.

"Hey, Raito, how about you stop staring at L for a minute, and eat, huh?" Sayu teased and giggled, "I can see it all the way from over here on the other side of the table, haha!"

"HUH?! What, Sayu, don't say things like that in front of guests!" Raito proclaimed, his face heating up.

"Oh, it's alright, Raito," The raven was next to speak, "I know of the staring problems you had when you were younger, there is no need to be shy." The younger one teased.

"S-Staring problems?" _Damn, who told him about that?! Wait, why didn't I deny it?! AGH!!_

"Yes, I was informed that you as a youngling, you had the urge to stare at others to the point of awkwardness, is that not true?"

"Well, uh-" _Matt! You told him that didn't you!? I can see that snicker all the way from over here, pal…_ "Perhaps when I was very young, but that issue went away awhile ago…"

"Yes…" L trailed off, helping himself to some rice dish that was being served on the side, "I was informed, no, it is more that I heard and researched some of the issues Raito-kun has dealt with since his early years….." The raven hid the smirk so well, but he could not help the teasing; it was just too much fun with Raito.

"….What have you heard, L?" _God, I'm afraid to ask…Matt, you are SO getting locked in the closet next…_

"Oh my God, you've heard things TOO?" Sayu piped up, "Matty's heard a lot too, haven't you Matty?!"

The red-head only gave a small nod, but a deep, devilish smirk was rooted upon his face.

"Well…..I was informed of Raito's, um…..feminine habits at a young age?"

Raito openly gaped, hoping to all the saints in the world, no… **universe,** that L was only speaking nonsense and that he really had no idea what he was saying.

But, unfortunately, Raito's silent cries for help went unheard.

"Oh, you mean how he used to play with dolls?" This time, it was Sachiko speaking up in honor of her son, "Our little Raito always loved dolls….."

"MOTHER?!" The young prince laid his head on the table in frustration, letting out an anguished sigh.

"Oh, yes, that is one thing I heard...I also heard he liked to dress up a lot as well."

"Yeah, he did!" The princess shouted from the other side of the table, "I've got pictures of it too!!"

"Really? I also heard that Raito had some unusual fears as well……" L trailed off again.

"Uh-huh," Matt's voice came next, "He was afraid of mice at five, dogs at six, umm…Sayu, what else?"

_Oh, Gods, make them stop! PLEASE!!_

"Umm….wasn't he afraid of cookies at one point? Remember, for Halloween, Okaa-san made scary cookies, and Raito went screaming? Oh, and he was afraid of fish for the longest time…."

"I also heard that Raito-kun was afraid of some television shows….oh, and he had abnormal fears with cars, trains, and boats at the age of eight, yes?"

Soichiro spoke up again, "Yes, he was--oh, you mean you heard he was afraid of Sesame Street, yes? Well, he was also afraid of many Disney movies…you know of those, right, L?"

"Of course….my, Raito-kun was afraid of them? I heard the rumors, but-"

"You kidding?!" Sayu proclaimed, "Beauty and the Beast scared the hell out of him! Oh, and he wept for days when Bambi's mother cried, oh, and Ursula from The Little Mermaid scared the hell out of him too! It was--"

"ENOUGH!!" Raito screamed, "Stop talking about me as if I'm not here! Are you all TRYING to embarrass me?!"

L blinked, then hung his head slightly, "I apologize, Raito-kun. I always believe discussing past fears would be enjoyable….some fond memories to laugh over, yes?"

_Oh man, I wasn't yelling at __**him**__! Hell, he could tease me until the end of the world, and I'd still love him…oh, no, are his eyes tearing up?! Raito, you bastard, now he'll never want to have sex with you tonight! AGH!!_

"What?! No, L, I wasn't yelling at you! You're right, it is good to discuss stuff like that and have a laugh, but** they** (here, Raito glared at the others seated at the table) were just bringing up more embarrassing ones." A soft, tan hand rested on the raven's shoulder, hoping that L would not run off crying or worse. A gaze into those ebony orbs showed that L's eyes were alight with mischief, and the prince had to wonder if he did not plan this whole "Let's talk about Raito's fears" conversation.

"Hey, don't be mad at us," Sayu told her brother, "It was Matt who told L everything."

"Wha?! Oh, you cannot blame this out all on me! You are the one who wanted all of those fears brought up at dinner so Raito would get embarrassed!" Matt returned.

"Well, you are the one who wanted Raito to get mad, and then get L to look really sad and puppy-like so Raito would whisk him off to make it up to him and pleasure L so he could finally get laid and stop being a wuss!" The princess shouted in one breath.

"Well, you are-"

Here, Raito tuned out the conversation and instead took L's hand in his, and helped him stand up from the table and walk over to the King and Queen.

"Otou-san, Okaa-san, um….can we go ahead and leave the table? Those two look at little busy…" Raito quietly asked his parents, "And I'd like to give L a tour of the castle…?"

"Of course!" Sachiko proclaimed giddily, "Oh, L, I apologize that there is no dessert. It seems the desserts we had planned for dinner just disappeared."

The secret servant bowed, "It is alright, Your Grace. I am fine, do not worry about it."

With both young men, giving a small bow, they exited the dining hall quietly, hearing Matt and Sayu's screams of anger all the way, growing louder with each step.

OoOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooOOOo

"I never knew Raito-kun's home was so….expansive." L calmly told the other as he surveyed portraits of the royal family on the wall to his left.

"Yeah, it's pretty big," The price stood next to the young one, "But I don't think it's as big as the King of Helek or Naneamas, but it's fairly decent size."

L nodded as they continued down the marble hall, stopping every now and then for Raito to point out a certain room, or something historical that he hoped L would find interesting, which the raven did each time.

"Raito-kun, I do apologize for the behavior at dinner earlier. I-"

"Listen, don't worry about it. You were just teasing and I..." Raito felt his face heat up, "And I have to admit, it was sort of enjoyable. I just didn't enjoy my family and friends letting out all of my dirty secrets to you." The prince gave a warm smile to L, hoping all qualms were resolved.

"Yes, I can understand that…even if some of Raito-kun's fears were humorous to hear about."

"Oh, shut up!" The brunette gave a playful push to the raven, who retaliated with a push of his own. It went on for a few moments, until Raito decided to end it with tackling L to the ground.

"Ha-ha…" Raito stared into the ebony eyes of the other; eyes that seemed so deep, one could drown into them. He brushed a few strands of midnight hair from the smiling raven's eyes.

"Raito-kun?" L quietly questioned, not louder than a soft whisper.

"Yes, L?" The other one returned softly.

"…Is Raito-kun going to show me the surprise he told me about at dinner? Because I do not believe lying on the floor is the surprise…"

The young royal gave a light chuckle, and stood up, helping his companion to his feet as well.

"Of course, L." The prince whispered in the raven's ear and still holding his hand, lead him down the hall at a somewhat quick speed, not even speaking a word.

The duo came to a large wooden door, decorated with golden accents, with tapestries on each side.

"It's…um…my room." Raito whispered; he wondered why he whispered, but perhaps he didn't want to disband this peaceful aura that had settled over the two.

The wooden door opened silently, and L gaped at the lavish room, full of ornate objects and clothes. It was tidy, pristine, not a speck of dirt could be seen to L's naked eyes.

What he did see though was a buffet table lined out with an assortment of sweets and pastries, many of which looked foreign to Kisamari. Pies, cakes, fruits, and three bowls of candies lined the table, a rainbow of flavors and colors. Along the sides of the table were bowels of whip cream, chocolate sauce, and cherries, bright and red and waiting to be eaten.

"R…Raito…is...is this...-"

The raven was cut off when Raito enveloped him in a hug, and whispered softly….

"Hai…. minasan anata no tame boku no tenshi…."

L felt his face heat up at the mention of angel, and he couldn't help but stutter his reply, not to mention, when Raito spoke Japanese so fluently and seductively…his voice was heavenly.

"A-Angel?"

"Hmm…yes….you cannot see how attractive you are, do you?" Raito bent down and breathed in L's scent, placing his face into the raven locks.

The secret servant's face turned red even more; so not used to the affection, he couldn't help his reactions that would normally be only shown by that of a high-school girl…but then again, he reminded himself he was a mortal human as well.

"Pick whatever you want, boku no chiisai karasu….."

L moved a bony hand to a piece of strawberry cheesecake and slowly moved his hand towards the whip cream, when Raito stopped him.

"You can't carry all of that, can you? Here, I'll help…." He whispered, a tan hand taking the whip cream bowl, along with container of cherries, and lead L over to the large bed with its red satin sheets.

"Are you sure it's alright to eat on your bed, Raito-kun? I don't want you to get reprimanded, and-"

The younger man was cut off again when Raito placed a lone finger on his pale, thin lips, silencing him.

"It's alright…it's my room, isn't it? And…." The prince stopped, and moved his face closer to the others, "It's just Raito now...no formalities." Came the soft, sweet whisper and a gentle kiss on the cheek.

The raven took the cheesecake and with the fork he had also acquired from the table, began to slowly eat it, feeling Raito's heated gaze upon him the entire time. To say it was not distracting would be to say the darkest night never faded into sunrise; a complete lie.

"Raito, you seem to fancy staring at me….is there a reason?"

The man with the sepia eyes just calmly shook his head, continuing to stare at the raven perched on top of his bedspread.

"…..Raito has good taste in desserts. How did you manage to sneak all of these away for me?"

"Shinpai shinai kudasai, Eru…." Raito whispered quietly, hoping to put any fears of retribution against the prince to rest.

The dark-haired one nodded, and finished the cheesecake, and placed the plate, which was clean of even the smallest crumbs, back onto the elongated table.

"Do you want more L, or….are you satisfied with **those** sweets?" The brunette asked as he encircled L into another hug, and the servant blushed at the supposed innuendo at that statement.

"Is…Is Raito implying that he has other sweets for me to sample, or is he just annunciating words for the fun of it?"

"Well, I've heard I'm quite sweet….wouldn't you agree L?" Raito asked sweetly, and L just blankly stared back at him.

"...Not really. Raito's taste is bitterer in my opinion. Perhaps with a dash of cinnamon maybe, or-"

"You're a jackass, you know that, right?" The prince teased his companion with a bright smile on his face.

The raven shrugged, "I have known that word before, Raito, but have paid little attention to it."

Raito ruffled the other's hair playfully, causing the younger one to sourly pout.

"In any case…" The young royal trailed off, and opened a dresser drawer, pulling out a black silk robe, "Get changed into this and come back, okay?" He whispered in L's ear hotly, giving the lobe a small kiss before backing away, noting the light blush that had settled on the pale man's thin cheeks.

L nodded, but a thought came to him at that moment; he would need to warn Mello that he was staying the night, and that Misa would need to be "informed" of his "location".

"Raito, if I may, may I borrow your cell phone? I need to make a call."

"Of course, dear L…" Taking the red, expensive cell phone out of his pocket, the older man placed it in the ebony-eyed man's dexterous hand, not even question whom L needed to call; that was unlike the prince's normally cautious personality.

With a nod, the servant headed to the adjacent bathroom, robe in hand, phone in the other, wondering if he would be able to handle what was coming next for him:

Pure pleasure and intense worry…..

OOoOoOOoOOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooOOo

About seven minutes later, L stepped out of the bathroom, nude except for the robe covering him, and a nervous aura surrounding his soul. He had talked to Mello, who had told him not to worry, that he would tell Misa that "Ryuzaki" had needed him for the entire night and early morning, and the tough blonde man would take any heat for L.

The raven also had debated about how he should come out of the bathroom; perhaps leave his boxers on? He had no clue about how to work a situation such as this, and he had debated for several minutes while perched atop the toilet seat.

Finally, L had decided to just bare himself to the other man, and most likely, Raito wouldn't see anything wrong with that; and he didn't.

For the brunette was stretched out on his bed, staring heatedly at the door to the bathroom, dressed in a robe similar to L's, but a dark, ruby red, matching the sheets. From L's perspective, it seemed the older one was nude as well, but he could not be completely sure.

"Mmm….omae….boku no atsui chiisai...koi..."

The blushing servant followed the order, and came to the bed, and for once sat down on it like a normal being; too shy to even look Raito in the eye, he whispered.

"M-My love……surely you cannot mean-"

"L, I haven't known you long, nor have I seen you many times….but it doesn't matter…Because…I think I'm falling for you more each hour, and each day…" The tan face was kissed with an angel's blush, and Raito's sepia eyes became glued to the red sheets.

"Raito-" But L was cut off as the other pushed him to the sheet, capturing his lips in a rough, passionate kiss, the muscular hands weaving through the midnight locks; hips straddling the others.

"You…don't see it…do you? Someone's taken away the ability for you to see how damn beautiful you are, didn't they?" The brunette whispered, his eyes half lidded, his warm breath coming out in short pants upon the raven's cheek.

"….R…Raito…" It was all the servant could manage, his eyes shining…with joyous tears. Someone….The **prince**, for God's sake, thought of him as beautiful, as attractive…as someone to love.

The royal grinded his hips into the others, and L heard a breathy gasp escape…from his **own** lips, causing his face to redden even more.

"God, L….I have been wanting this…for so damn long. I can't...hold it in anymore; this….lust….wanting…**love**." Another grind of the hips and both men let out quiet, soft mewls of pleasure.

"R….Raito, I have no experience in these matters. Sexual, romantic….I…I don't of my actions and courses to take."

"Heh…well, I'm not entirely sure either. I know about kissing and what to do but…. I'm….a virgin as well." The prince whispered with a smile, causing the dark-eyes man to blink rapidly.

"Raito is still virginal? But…all of those women--"

"--Were **not **the people I wanted to do this with…I've been waiting for someone…." The royal trailed off, a small smirk of teasing on his face.

"What? Someone what?!" L was curious for the older man above him to finish his statement; the anticipation grinding and unnerving.

"Special…." The brunette whispered, and pulled L into another heated kiss, a gentle hand going behind L's head, bringing it closer to Raito's own.

This kiss…it was more heated than the others that had taken place; there was more passion, more desire….but even more so, the lust; the lust was so thick, you could've tasted it, smelled it, and felt it with bare skin.

Raito's right hand moved down L's pale chest, caressing some protruding rib bones and pale, porcelain skin. The prince's mouth moved from the pale lips that it had captured to the visible neck just waiting to be plundered by the royal mouth.

L felt something stirring in his loins, something warm and unbelievably wonderful; something that made him sweat, flush, pant and want……especially want. And it was driving him insane…finally, L Lawliet, L Misora, or just L…was losing his common sense, the ability to think rationally, all because of one man.

"R….Raito...It….It's--" L cut himself off when a breathy moan escaped his vocal chords when the brunette began tweaking a pale nub with his muscular hands, and his full, pink lips had encased the other nipple in a wet, hot cavern; a tongue danced around the sensitive bud, and the raven shivered and mewled with delight, his bony arms going to wrap around the older male's neck tightly.

The brunette's mouth moved again, down the pale one's abdomen, leaving wet, sloppy kisses on all traces of skin it could conquer, and mark as its own; for the mouth left some tiny nips of the skin, which caused L to throw his head back with blissful, small cries of pleasure, and to tighten his grip on Raito.

As Raito moved further down, the black robe the raven was wearing began to block his path, so he somewhat roughly pulled the younger man up, whispering huskily, in both a mixture of Japanese and English,

"Roobu…robe…ofu…ima…**now**…" He helped the younger one shed the clothing by pushing it off his shoulders, and L stepped out of it, Raito flinging it to the side without a care; his own ruby robe joined the midnight one not a second later.

The one with the sepia eyes buried his face in L's locks for a moment, taking a deep breath of the raven's scent, causing the man beneath him to shiver again in pleasure, and the ebony eyes in shone with happiness and were glazed over with pleasure.

"Mmm….L….don't be nervous, okay? I just want to pleasure you…." The quiet whisper echoed through the bedroom.

"…..Okay." L whispered back, and some fear shone in his eyes; for with no experience of this before, it scared the normally recluse of a man. Even if Raito was still virginal like himself, he had experience somewhat with women, on how to please them, and most certainly, the prince had read up on the subject more than L had; the servant had gotten his hands on little information, save from a worn textbook Mello had snuck for him, and the blonde himself.

Raito moved his body, stretching over L and reached over to the bedside table, gently opening the drawer, and grabbing the bottle of lube he had hidden away from private eyes.

"Just relax your muscles, L. It might hurt for a moment, but I promise, it will get better." The prince was coating his fingers with the substance as L nodded, and tried to relax his body.

For a few seconds, L felt nothing, but slowly, he felt the intrusion of one of Raito's coated fingers, and he winced at the discomfort, some tears beginning to form in his eyes. It hurt, there was no getting around that, but…in a way, it did not; perhaps because L had experience worse pain through his work and beatings from Misa?

"Nngh…Raito….it's…."

"Shh…Eru….It's alright…It's going to get better…." Raito whispered as he inserted another appendage slowly, and the raven this time yelped at the admittance, his fists digging into the bed sheets. He was strong, but this…it was just getting too much….wasn't it?

L could feel the fingers begin to scissor, and as he relaxed more, the pain began to dissipate, and when Raito placed another finger in, continuing to stretch, the pain had turned to pleasure, and the raven found himself moaning due to the touch of those magical appendages, and through his lust-fill midnight orbs, he could see the prince smiling a small smile.

Raito continued to prepare him, and at one point, those fingers touched something inside the secret servant, causing him to moan loudly and arch off the bed.

"Ahhh! Raito! Again! Mata! Mata! Right there!"

The prince smirked, and removed the fingers, causing a small whimper from L while the prince coated his member with the lube.

Once Raito thought both of them were prepared, he lifted the lithe man's legs upon his shoulders, moving closer to him, so that their skin was touching, and were eye-to-eye.

"Ready, tenshi?" The prince asked with a tiny smile as he brushed a few bangs away from L's eyes, and the raven nodded.

Slowly, Raito inserted himself into the tight, hot cavern, and he gasped at the wonderful sensation of being inside the man he had been lusting after for so too long. The feelings of pleasure were shooting up the prince's spine, and he wasn't even fully sheathed inside the other one yet.

L's eyes had gone wide, with a mixture of pain and pleasure. It did hurt, he would not lie, not be false, and it was hard to hide the pain when he winced and groaned at the intrusion of something definitely bigger than a finger or three; but there was also something else there as well….something wonderful.

Raito took the sign of L not weeping in pain and pushed in further, and this time hearing L let out a breathy gasp of shock and delight, his mouth widening into a smile, and his hands went from griping the bed to griping Raito's shoulders tightly, the worn, dirty nails digging into the tan, muscular body above the raven.

The prince was fully sheathed inside L…his L…and he was resisting urge to pound into the younger man, to take him fully by force, but he wanted to wait; this was **L**, not someone regular or normal, and it was the man's first time.

"Raito……move……" L whispered softly, his deep, husky voice piercing the nighttime aura of the room.

The prince, still unsure if he would be going on beyond the other's comfort zone, gently began thrusting in and out, slow movements that caused both to men to unleash moans that became louder with each thrust, each touch and when L bent up to kiss Raito's neck, the prince lost all self-control, and began pounding faster and harder into his new lover.

"Ah…Raito….It…It **is** good! Great! K-Keep going!" L called out loudly, not caring if anyone else in the castle could hear them; all of that was forgotten as two became one.

"L….So tight…hot….wonderful!" The brunette called back, and speeding up even more, he took the other's rigid member in his right hand, pumping in a harsh, steady rhythm, the left hand taking root in L's hair, bringing their foreheads together, half-lidded sepia eyes staring into ebony of the same position.

The raven's senses were on overdrive as Raito began to move quicker, pump harder and stare more heatedly. Everything that had been on his mind washed away with the tide of Raito's loving of him; for once in his young life L had……

Hope for something better……

The younger man realized that perhaps he should do something for Raito to feel as much pleasure as he was; so smoothly, he moved his bony hands up Raito's chest, caressing and pinching the royal's nipples, and it worked for the other let out a scream of pleasure with a call of L's name. L thought he was doing good for a beginner, so taking a plunge, he began to rock his hips to the rhythm Raito had begun, and even spread his legs a little more, making the older man plunge deeper into him.

With that movement, not a second later did Raito hit the other's prostate, the spot that made the raven see white, stars, and Heaven itself, and scream and arch off the bed with a shout of

"Raito! Soko! There! Tadashii soko! Again!"

"God, L….I….." With the raven's erotic screaming, Raito knew he wouldn't last long, and the pumping of the other's erection sped up, causing L to throw his head back, tossing, turning, and thrashing underneath the prince.

The sight was so wonderfully beautiful, sensual and exotic, the prince grabbed L's head, bringing their foreheads together, their eyes looking into each other's again.

"When you come….I come…..Look into my eyes…" The prince whispered between pants, and L nodded, and gave another breathy moan as Raito hit his "sweet spot" again, and that was the final straw for the royal; with a scream of L's name in Japanese, he came inside the younger man, and to his word, he stared into the eyes of the other.

The raven gasped as he felt Raito's juices enter him and with a scream of the other's name, he gave into the pleasure, his own semen covering both of them; and true to his word, L's eyes were locked onto the other's completely, both pairs glazed, half-lidded, and full of desire and happiness.

Raito rode out the orgasm with a few more half-hearted thrusts, and eventually slipped out of L's panting, flushed, sweaty body, and collapsed on top of him.

"Mmm…."

"Raito….." L replied quietly, finding it hard to vocalize complex words and sentences.

"I'm not too heavy, am I L?" The brunette whispered softly in the raven's ear.

"No. Raito's girth is not large enough to cause any pain or discomfort, so he can remain on top of me if he wishes."

The prince chuckled, and softly kisses the other on the lips, and whispered,

"Did you enjoy that? You did….right?"

"Yes. Greatly….I have never experienced that before, Raito…..thank you."

The older man rolled off the raven, and gently lifted him up, bridal style, causing L to pout.

"I may have been on the bottom, Raito, but that does **not** make me a woman."

Raito laughed louder this time, and using one hand, he pulled the covers of the bed down, and gently placed the secret servant within them, crawling in next to his lover a second later.

"Mmm….I know you're not a girl L…." The cocky royal pulled the other man close to him, and L let out a content sigh, cuddling as close as he could to the prince, whose one hand curled around the pale man's waist, another running through the midnight locks that he always yearned to touch.

"Good…as long as that is clear." L whispered with a smile and a content sigh into Raito's neck.

"You can stay the night….right?"

"Of course. Did you really think I would be moving after **that,** Raito?"

"Hehe…no, I guess not…..Hey…."

"Hey, what, Raito?"

"……Don't leave." Raito whispered after a yawn of exhaustion.

"….I just said that I am not, Rai-"

"No, L….I mean….Don't **leave**."

"………Okay. I won't." L understood the cryptic message behind Raito's soft words and with a smile, both fell asleep in each other's arms, the crescent moon shining brightly out of the prince's window.

It was the first truly peaceful sleep L had obtained in years…….

OOoOooOOOOooOOOOooOOOoooooOOOo

_**About 15 miles outside the village of Kanto, the Salida Woods…..**_

OoOOOOOoOOOOooooOOOOOOOOOOOOoooOOOOo

The poor woman…..she didn't stand a chance….

Blood covered the clearing like an artist's eccentric and odd painting; it coated trees, grass, and even some spots had fallen into the tiny ponds of clear water.

It was a masterful killing……

But then again, Beyond did consider murder an art form, and for the piece de resistance, he finished the bloody "E" on the tree next to the woman's prone and disfigured body, his pale, bony hand bloody from writing the letter.

The young noble woman, who was about to turn twenty tomorrow, would never see another sunrise; of course Beyond felt no remorse, because for every job that needs to be accomplished, so sacrifices must be made.

And it was that woman's sacrifice of her body, which had been repeatedly stabbed and bludgeoned and finally disfigured and dismantled, and her blood which had been needed by Beyond Birthday.

The "E" was finally completely done, and the murderer licked his bloody hand, his tongue tasting the metallic substance.

"Mmmm……Good…But I know Lawli's will be better."

L….L Lawliet….

Eventually, L would come out of wherever he was, and B would be there to get him..…..

All of this was because L was his…. a pure and simple motive, was it not? Beyond thought so.

"Finally…I've waited years…**nineteen **years, Lawli…finally, you'll be mine again…just like it was promised to be, **destined **to be."

The jam-lover let out a deathly cackle that echoed throughout the forest and the nighttime air, and licked his hand again.

With that, the black-shirted man with the blood-red, special Eyes began to run out of the forest….

And was on the move again to find his last, needed victim…….

OoooOOooOOOOoOOOOOoOooOOOOOo

A/N: Hehe….and I bet you though I was ending this on a cute note, didn't you?

Well, I hope you enjoyed the first lemon of our little fairytale, and look! It's Beyond! So yes, if any of you guessed that the killer was BB, you win………

Um, well, I'm broke and own nothing prize-worthy, so how about a cookie? : D

tosses cookies to lucky guessers

And you also get a new chapter, which I will be writing very soon!

And thanks go out to jesus-of-surburbia2o2o for being my official BETA of this story! Hugs to you, dear! : DDDD

See you all next time!

OooOooOooooOOoOoOoOOooOOo

JAPANESE TRANSLATIONS:

_"Hai…__ minasan anata no tame boku no tenshi….":_

Yes...all for you my angel...

_boku no chiisai karasu:_

My little raven……..

_Shinpai shinai kudasai, Eru:_

Do not worry, L…….

_"Mmm….omae….boku no atsui chiisai...koi...":_

Mmm...My love...my hot raven...come.

_"Roobu…robe…ofu…ima…now…" :_

Robe….off…..now……

_"Mata! Mata": _

Again! Again!

_Soko! There! Tadashii soko!:_

There! There! Right there!


	7. Witchy Ways of Women, Kindness of Men

A/N: Hello there! : D Welcome back to the fairytale!

Sorry it took so long for an update, but I got distracted by my other stories, and of course, school's up and running again. Yay for junior year!

So, here you go, and please enjoy. Reviews are welcomed, if you wish, and thanks so much for reading! : D

_OoOooooOOOoOOooOOoooOOOooOOoOOooOOOo_

_I know, you know, we don't see_

_We sow our truth, wait patiently…_

_I walk the streets with a song in my heart  
We ebb and we flow so  
Got my toes on my pup at the foot of my bed  
My heart always seems to know  
Now take the glitz back, I want the soul instead  
Cos I found some kind of fairytale…_

_I used to  
Hover outside my truth  
Always worry of what I'd lose…_

_And now I can see so clear  
I hope you feel just like I feel  
I found some kind of fairytale…_

_Cos I found some kind of fairytale  
Nolita Fairytale  
Ba da da da da da, Ba da da da da  
Nolita Fairytale  
Ba da da da da da, Ba da da da da da_

_Nolita Fairytale…_

_"Nolita Fairytale" - Vanessa Carlton_

_OoOoOooOOooOooOOoooOooOOoOOoOOo_

Dawn had finally shown its perfect heavenly smile, rays from angels shining through Raito's windows, the beams awakening him softly with a content smile. In his arms, his boyfriend, his lover, L, who himself was actually sleeping peacefully, breathing even, and a gentle smile that made the prince hypothesize that the younger one was dreaming a wonderful dream; probably of either sweets or sexual fantasies, is what ran through the royal's mind.

A tan hand began to run through the raven's locks, and the man subconsciously snuggled into the caresses, eliciting what sounded like a feline purr. L moved even closer to Raito, the bony hands of the man holding onto his older lover tightly, possessively, in an action that showed L never wanted to let go.

"Mmm…R-Raito…" The secret servant was finally stirring, his ebony crystals opening slowly, his grip upon Raito lightening somewhat, "Mm…what time is it?" The raven asked softly as he sat up, rubbing his tired eyes and their big, black bags.

The brunette yawned, glancing at his bedside clock, "Half past eight, L…Uh, it's sort of early? We can-"

"EIGHT?!" The young man snapped to attention, jumping out of bed, grabbing his strewn clothes rapidly, causing Raito to watch with wide, surprised eyes, "I-I needed to be home by eight! Oh, this is not good, I'll…" L shook his head worry completely etched onto his face.

He knew, just KNEW that when he was to arrive home, Misa would go ballistic.

"L, calm down…Matt's going to drive you home in a little bit, alright. There's no need to rush. We told your family members we would have you back by nine at the latest; though, that blonde girl, according to one of the guards, went a little crazy at hearing that, but other than that, they really did not seem to mind."

"Oh…Good, I suppose." The raven returned to the plush bed, perching on it somewhat stiffly, still nervous about what would occur back at his home front; his trepidation and fear vanished when two strong arms came to wrap around his waist, a princely head, face and chin coming to rest upon his bony shoulder.

"Mm…Don't worry, L, I'm sure things are fine." Raito nuzzled into L's neck sweetly, like that of a kitten, and the younger one smiled at the royal's action, "Oh…there was something I wanted to speak with you about."

"…Yes, Raito?"

"Well…" The prince trailed off, seeming quite nervous at his next words, and indeed, he was; the brunette was choosing them all too carefully, "I…well, my parents and I talked before you came over, and we decided…that I am having a ball, a masked ball."

"…Masked…ball?" The raven blinked his ebony gems, which were sparking in the rays of the rising sun.

"Yeah, it's called a masque in some areas. Anyway, you just dress up in a costume; you don't have to wear a mask if you don't want to. But it…well, it is in three days, and I want you to come. I sort of have a big announcement for a lot of the kingdom to hear, L."

"Ah…I see. And…you wish for me to attend?" L could not help the smile that came to grace his porcelain features.

"Of course I do, you moron," Raito teased, hugging L even closer and leaving a chaste kiss upon the raven's cheek," You especially need to be there, since you're part of the announcement, L."

"I see…" The secret servant was internally nervous at this impromptu announcement, and was fearful of how to respond.

"Yeah…the bad thing is I won't see you until the day of the ball, there's a lot of preparations for it…but anyway, you'll come right? Please say yes…"

"…" L was silent for but a moment, but finally letting a joyful smile grace his lips, "I shall attend it, Raito; it would be my honor to do so."

"NO, it will be MY honor to have you." The royal chuckled and fell back onto the bed, pulling the younger one on top of him, holding him closely and possessively.

It was silent for some time, both men breathing in each other's scents, both lavishing in the comforting warmth, especially the raven; never had L felt this well, never had he felt so…relaxed and safe. In his mind, there was no place in this world, and whatever other worlds existed out there, that was safer than Raito Yagami's arms; the same arms that happened to be holding the reclusive man tightly, silently screaming that they never planned to let go.

"Mmm…" The Yagami prince murmured, burying his face into the midnight tresses, sighing contently, and he kissed the scalp of his lover tenderly, sweetly, which to L, seemed somewhat out of character for the cocky prince.

"Raito is acting very…cuddly and sweet this morning."

"Mmm…well, I have a good excuse don't I, L?"

"…That excuse you speak of…it better be me. Or is it just because you are always this perky and sugary early in the morning? My, I shall remember that if it is so, for it is quite out of normality for you, Raito. Perhaps-"

The prince cut off the other man by bopping him in the head with a soft, feathery pillow; nearly instantly after hitting L with that "cheap blow" (as muttered by the raven himself, through the silky fabric of the royal pillow), Raito pushed the servant back onto the bed, tan, muscular hands holding the young insomniac in place.

"My….you're so talkative, L. Especially for this early, by the way…in some ways, it is surprising, other ways, not so much. Since I know of your personality…"

"…You mean my charming and wonderful personality?" L flashed an impish, teasing grin to his companion, who just chuckled with a shake of his head.

"Sure…let's go with that."

And that was when the royal pulled the sweets-lover into a lazy, tender kiss, full of warmth and passion, and even a little sprinkle of lust. But, oh, not too much of that. This kiss was loving, and kind, as they all were, but those emotions greatly showed this early morning, while lust, even though it could be sensed, and nearly tasted, did not shine as much…

Perhaps it was due to the hour of the morn, or…

Maybe it was to be Raito's next words…

The brunette broke away, breathless once more, oh, L was indeed an amazing kisser; his sepia orbs stared straight into the raven's, a hand coming to lightly grasp the young one's head, bringing L's forehead to Raito's own.

"L, I-"

"Ahem…hey, Royal Lover, and Mr. Sweets…Limo's waiting for L to take him home."

…

Matt's…

Timing…

SUCKED.

"…"

"Raito, that twitch in your right eye has once again returned." L commented, tilting his head in wonder, "And thank you Matt-san, I shall be there in short time."

The red-head nodded, and closed the bedroom door softly, shaking his head at the terrible timing he had; it was never…enjoyable to open the door and walk in on your best friend and his boyfriend and lover being all "kissy-kissy-goo-ga" with each other.

"…" The royal remained silent as his boyfriend scurried around the room, picking up all of his clothes and dressing like a hurrying high-school student. But…he did take this time to discreetly view L's beautiful rear as those boxers slid over that perfect skin and that tempting entrance…and that extremely hung member…and…

"Well….Raito…I best be going?" L's words snapped Raito out of his perverted reverie, the royal awakening to find the secret servant standing completely dressed, right in front of him.

"Oh…yeah." The brunette seemed hesitant to let his L go on home, and he came to stand in front of the insomniac, a quick flash of forlornness coming to his eyes, "I'll…see you soon."

"…In three days, Raito. You can wait that long, right?" The raven chuckled, grasping Raito's light bronze hand in his bony own, "…I'll be back here soon."

"Heh…yeah…"

…_L…_

…_It really doesn't feel like I can wait that long…to be perfectly honest…_

"…" L lent up, giving the prince a small kiss upon his pink, full lips, and with a smile, whispered, "If you weren't so damn busy…we would not have to wait. But…we don't always get what we want. I'll see you soon." The raven gave Raito's ear a small kiss as well, and turned to leave…

But the young Yagami's hand would not let go…

"…?" L turned back to his lover, his ebony orbs silently asking the appropriate question for the moment: "Is something wrong?"

"…L…I love you."

"…" The raven just blinked at the other's words, and internally he was torn. Half of him jumped for joy, ecstasy, and happiness, along with praising the Gods and deities of the land. The other half…

The other half…was screaming in terror; if Raito…who had just admitted that he was in love with L…ever found out that the raven was not a noble and actually a servant…a LYING servant…

All Hell would break lose…

"…I know it is…really soon to say something like that, but it is true L. I'm…I'm in love with you. I…" The prince's royal, handsome face was flushing a bright pink, "I love you…"

"…Raito-"

"Look, if you don't feel the same way, just…don't worry about it. We can-!!"

L had returned to the other's side, well, more of stood in front of Raito, and silenced him with a kiss upon the other's sultry mouth.

"…I…" The raven found his face heat up, and lowered his head somewhat so his bangs were covering his midnight gems of eyes, "…Love you as well…" L whispered softly.

"…L, did you just say…?"

"YES, I DID! I LOVE YOU! I-…Uh…I…" L 'Misora' had never meant to shout that last statement out like he did, but it had…just occurred. Raito's…naivety, for lack of a better word, and his doubt of what the raven had spoken just made L shout it out loud.

"Oh…Oh, L, I-"

"Yeah, yeah, spread the love, lube, whatever….L has to go NOW. I want to beat the fucking traffic." Matt had returned, silent like a snake, and tapped his foot impatiently like a waiting teacher, parent or guardian, a minute scowl upon his face at how long it was taking for L to say goodbye.

"I was just on my way out, Matt-san," L nodded, and walked towards the gamer, "I shall see you soon, Raito…Take care until then."

The wooden door closed behind them, leaving a joyous Raito behind.

"God…he said it…I……" The prince was greatly surprised, "HE SAID IT!" Shouting the statement in schoolgirl fashion, he did not care if others heard him; he was that happy.

"HEY!! Keep it down! It's too early!" Sayu Yagami screeched from another corner of the castle, her brother's shout of joy reaching all end of the home, "Some people need beauty rest, and don't spend all night having sex with THEIR BOYFRIEND!"

L chuckled as Matt led him to the running and waiting Mercedes, for the prince and princess' war of words were reaching the outside limits of the royal grounds, and flowing right into the raven's ears.

As the young one climbed into the car, he sensed a…ominous presence nearby.

L did not know it, and feared he was becoming paranoid; not that he had no reason at all to be, he certainly did…but it just seemed to be an odd time.

If only he would have paid more attention to his senses…

Or only if he had heard the clicking of a nearby digital camera…

OOoOOOOooOOOooOooOOOooOOOoOOoOOoo

The following days passed quickly, quietly…almost eerily.

Misa continued to order L around dictatorially, ordering him to do the various, and sometimes humiliating, chores and the raven compiled as always, secretly thinking of the ball that was to come all too soon. He figured Mello could help him get a costume, and perhaps he and Matt would sneak him in somehow…

All that he knew was that he** was**, without a doubt, GOING. Even if it took a great amount of effort, he would go to that ball; even if he could not get a costume or a mask, L was certain Raito would not care greatly.

…Well…that hope got him through the next few days…even more so when the invitations to the ball were sent out, Mello and Misa receiving golden envelopes and shining letters in the mail on the first day after L had left the castle.

The second day, the raven found a surprise for himself in the mail, when he snuck out after seeing a black Mercedes drive away early that morning: an actual invitation from himself, and it was handwritten in beautiful, artistic cursive. There was even a black mask sealed with the letter, which read:

_L-_

_Wear this mask…it'll look wonderful on you…And I'll be able to spot you easier…_

_I can't wait to see you…_

_  
-Love, Raito…_

The young servant scurried inside to hide the letter (which smelled fragrantly of cologne) and the mask under his mattress in the basement, hoping no one would spot either…

But the third day…

All Hell was unleashed.

OoooOOooOOOOoOOOOOoOooOOOOOo

"L!!" It was nearly three PM, and the blonde ditz known as Misa Misora screamed for her poor step-brother to come, which he did.

"Yes, Misa, what-"

The raven froze, no…completely turned into an ice sculpture.

In the bubbly blonde's right hand…was a picture…

Of L leaving the royal castle and getting into one of the Royal Mercedes….

"How did you-"

"How did I GET THIS, L? Hmm…that is none of your business. I have a secret spy-"

"Takada…" L sneered, in contempt, inwardly swearing and cursing that snobby woman.

"Perhaps…I was a little suspicious of you, so I had someone follow you and keep an eye on you…" Misa smirked, "And I found these too…"

In her other hand was L's letter, and the mask Raito had sent.

"How did you-" L's stomach and heart dropped like stones.

"I snuck around, dear little L…It's a good thing I did…"

"…"

There was silence for some time, until…

SLAM

Misa pushed L roughly to the floor with a pounding shove, the raven falling onto his hunched back.

"How DARE YOU! The Prince is MINE!" The harpy screeched, "You WILL be PUNISHED!"

"Misa, please-"

BAM

A heavy punch nailed the insomniac right in the cheek, sending him flying even further, right into the coffee table in the living room.

"You vile piece of scum! How DARE you associate with Raito-sama! And BEHIND MY BACK! You'll PAY FOR THIS L!! And…you'll do it by making the Prince think you totally ditched him and break his heart…and then he'll fall rightfully in love with ME…" She grinned like an evil cat, and lunged at L, grabbing his shirt and dragging him outside.

"Misa, stop! Please! Y-You don't understand! I-"

"Oh, I understand! It is YOU who doesn't, L! **I **am in control here, **you** are not! **I **have power, while **you **are just scum!" The blonde woman dragged the servant out into the backyard, towards the wine cellar that was located behind the house. The underground room was small, but it held all of the wine for the home, in a nice cool location, also locked from the outside and, if necessary, could be locked from the inside as well.

Misa flung upon the cellar door with a loud clang, and with impeccable strength for someone of her size, the blonde flung the male into the cellar with a diabolical cackle, slamming the door, and locking it from all sides.

"MISA!!" L banged on the door, and even shook the door handle in vain, barely able to see in the dark room; thankfully, he had been used to dark places (Misa used to lock him in the closet when they were younger) so he could see somewhat, but what good was that now?

"MISA, LET ME OUT!!" L even tried to kick the door down, but the heavy wooden barrier did not budge; the genius suspected the woman had placed a heavy object on top of it.

"HAHAHAH!! See ya, L! I'm off to get my man…hope you have fun…" Retreating footsteps sounded out, and the servant gave another shout of the vile witch's name, but in the end, he groaned mournfully.

_No…no, this…this cannot happen…! Raito will be crushed…and who knows what might happen…I need to get out of here…!!_

"MISA!! LET ME OUT!!" The raven continued to bang on the door, and even slammed his shoulder into it, trying as hard as he could, yet failing each time, "MISA!!"

No one could hear his shouts…

Well…almost no one.

Mihael Keehl was crouched behind the house, having just come back from an impromptu, secret meeting with Mail Jeevas in town. The blonde bombshell had been quick enough to see his poor step-brother dragged off and into the cellar and locked in there; he had also seen the letter, and in all honesty, it was his fault Misa had found that. Mello had seen L sneak off to get it the other day, and once the raven had had to busy himself with some various chores, Mello had snuck down to read it, and unfortunately, he had not hidden it back to the best of his abilities.

_Dammit…Don't worry, L…I'll help you…_

_Just give me a few…and I'll get you to that ball…_

OOOooOOoOOOOoOooOOoooOoOOOooOo

**Hours Later…Five PM….**

OoooOOOoOOOOOOoOOoOOoOOOOOoOOoo

"You're going WHERE?" Misa questioned with a pout, "Mello, I need you to drive me to the ball…" The blonde whined despondently.

"Look, I have to stop somewhere first, alright? You can drive yourself, can't ya? It doesn't start for another two hours, right? Just go ahead, it'll take you awhile, anyway…okay? Oh, and where's L? I haven't seen him all day-"

"I sent L on an all-day errand. He'll be awhile," The "princess" lied smoothly, "And FINE. I'll go. But you better be there when it starts, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever Miss Priss. Just GO."

"Hmph!" Misa turned, dressed from head to toe in a sexy, short witch costume, full of lace, black cloth, and a pointed hat (Oh, how fitting, is what went through Mello's mind at seeing it), and headed out the door, the red mustang driving off a few minutes later.

That was Mello's cue to hop into his own car, and bolt into the Western Hallida Woods, which were not but about three miles from his home. He had run right to the computer after seeing L taken hostage, and searched Google for a map of the woods, finding it instantly. Though it did not have the exact location of the person he needed to see, it would do for now.

His destination?

The witch Rem…

In legends, the woman was a formidable woman, who scared many with her supposed "magical" abilities, but no one had ever come to see her…and actually sustained NO harm at all…

…Because broken bones, bruises, scars and being turned into an amphibian counted right?

"…" The blonde sighed as the forest drew nearer, reminding himself he was doing this for L, and when it came right down to it, he had few choices. One, Misa had not only hidden (or destroyed) the key to the cellar, but she had also placed various rocks on the door, causing immobility of it. The witchy woman had also destroyed the beautiful mask Mello's step-brother had received, tearing and cutting it into shreds. And if anyone could fix anything broken, it was a real witch.

The dark trees and wooden area finally loomed over Mihael's head, and he screeched the car to a halt, jumping out in a hurry. He was running out of time, and only God knew how long it would take to bargain with Rem.

Not one-hundred percent sure of where he was going, Mello wandered into the forest, the tops of the pines, oaks, and various species of trees all but nearly blocking out the sun, only letting tiny shines and rays float down into the somewhat spooky Hallida woods. Animals and insects crawled everywhere, squawking, scurrying and squeaking, going about their daily routines, now disturbed by Mihael's presence. Giant eyes would glance at the blonde bombshell, and then move along on their merry way. But as the young man delved deeper into the woods, nearing the witch's domain, many of the creatures, mice, birds, and a multitude of others, began running towards a certain direction, the exact one Mihael was traversing towards. Could this be a sign? If all of Nature's creatures were hurrying to one point, should Mello go that way? Well, that was an obvious question, and even though many could say that the answer was 'no' and that 'he might die if he goes that way', the young man did not care, and did the exact opposite; he did not just walk in that direction, he sprinted, jumping over logs, vines, and nearly tripping on a sleeping fox, who in turn, ran in that same direction.

It must not have been even five minutes before Mello came upon a rundown cottage, all of the animals gathered around it, their full-moon-esque eyes turned towards the blonde.

The cottage itself was somewhat shabby, completely made of black wood for all four outside walls, with ivy growing all along the walls, and rose bushes centered on both sides of the front door, which was a healthy contrasting white, with a golden knocker right in the center of the wooden surface. A rusty, cast-iron gate and fence ran all along the perimeter of the home, and a midnight cobblestone path wandered lazily up to the front door. Two ponds, full of green water, and bubbling as well, were in two corners of the grounds as well, thorns of pure needle-like sharpness growing around them.

The blonde wandered towards the gate, the animals moving to give him space, as if they were parting the Red Sea; but the instant Mello's hand touched the metal, a sharp electric shock, eliciting a gasp from the man.

"State your name." A cold, feminine voice rang out, "You may enter if I am expecting you."

"Uh…Mihael…? Mello? I need to speak with the witch Rem."

"…"

It was silent for a moment, but once it had passed, the gate creaked open magically, allowing Mihael to pass with ease.

He came to the door, and just as he was about to lift the knocker, it too creaked open, the voice speaking up with,

"That knocker is not used unless it is someone I wish to speak to and am not expecting. Come in Mihael Keel Misora…"

"Uh…yeah, are you Rem?" Mello entered slowly, poking his head inside, his body following.

Inside, it was completely dark, save for one window that had no curtains blocking the sun, while the two other windows of glass in the room did so. The floorboards were creaky, wooden, and of dark wood; furniture was scare, only a table, two chairs and a couch were in this one room. Books of various colors, shapes and sizes, ranging from minute to behemoth, were strewn about the abode, some open to complex, foreign text, others not. There was another light shining to another room to the right; Mello believed it to be a candle flame.

"Yes, I am," The woman replied, "Please, come into the eastern room."

The blonde did so, and there stood the witch herself, huddled over something invisible from Mihael's point of view. As he came more into the room, he got a better look at the woman.

Her skin was completely white; and no, not pale like L's; hers was pure snow white. No blemishes on it either, it was purely porcelain. On her head was a crown of hair, it too white like the December rain. The hair was thick, and came down over her head like that of the legendary Medusa; on the tips of her locks were shades of dark purple, with a bit of pink mixed in for more color. Her lips were the exact same color, with lines of dark purple coming down from her bottom lip, trailing down her chin and to the sides of her mouth, as some form of intricate makeup. Hidden somewhat behind her hair were two giant golden earrings, hoops to be exact, and across her forehead were bandages, somewhat large, and covering her right eye. The one visible eye was a bright sunny yellow, standing out bright in the dark room; a black dot consisted of being the pupil in her eye. Her dress was of odd shape and texture, almost having a bone-shape pattern to it, and it was too pure white, with a few black lines near the hems, the fabric reaching down to the woman's knees. If you could get a look at Rem from a distance, it could be possibly hard to tell she was actually a mortal with witch abilities; yes, witches were mortal, they could die just as well, but it was quite difficult to kill them, and usually their life-spans were quite long. But, one could tell she was human by the shape of her hands and feet. They were pale white as well, but there was something interesting about Rem's skin: It was somewhat transparent if the light hit it at just the right angle. If it did, a viewer could see the bones behind the skin all too clearly; this occurred with Rem's hands, feet, arms and legs and her shoulders.

"Welcome, Mihael, I have been expecting you." The woman stated calmly, glancing at the fairly nervous blonde, "I knew you were coming; my cauldron never lies."

"Yeah…so, do you know why I am, exactly?" Mello questioned, stepping closer to see the woman churning liquid in a boiling, pewter kettle.

"Mmm…you wish to help your brother, yes?"

"Yeah…so, can you help?"

"…I usually do not help without a payment, Mihael Keehl Misora. You shall have to give me something in return." Rem told him softly, glancing towards the man.

"Alright…what do you want, and how do you think you can help L?"

"Mm…I have ways to help your step-brother. From what I have seen…he is a good soul."

The white witch dipped a bony finger into the liquid, and when the liquid rippled a second later, an image of L sitting in the cellar appeared, and the blonde's eyes widened.

"Whoa…have you been watching him with this?"

"Indeed. I sensed early this morning that a man would be stopping by to wish to aid his brother, so I turned to this. A spell enabled me to see what was to happen, dear Mihael, so I could prepare myself."

"…"

"As I stated before, I shall help your brother. He is a good man, and is only looking for love. I may not look it, but love and compassion are feelings I am quite drawn to, Mihael."

"Yeah…all humans are." Mello told her kindly, with a gentle smile, thinking of his brother and himself, who had both found someone…special. Yes, Mello would not admit it just yet, but he did find Mail Jeevas to be quite special indeed. "But…out here, all alone…it must be hard…you know, with favoring love and all."

"…Just because I favor love and live alone, away from civilization, does not mean I do not experience it, Mihael. I have feelings for someone, yes…but I digress. You shall take me to your brother, and I will aid him, for I feel he is a good person with good intentions…even if his future looks….not bleak, per se, but more along the lines of uncertain."

"Uncertain?"

"Mm…in a way, but I cannot discuss the futures that I see through my magic with any persons. It can disrupt any time and space vortexes. Now, in return for helping….I usually take away a part of someone's life-span."

"L-Life-span?" Mello blinked, not liking the sound of that word.

"Yes, I usually cut someone's life or longevity rate down. For instance if one was to live until seventy, I may use magic to make them live only until the age of forty, fifty, or even earlier. Or I may shorten the life to only a few days…or weeks, if I decide."

"S-So…you're going to take away my life." It was a somber statement, not a question at all.

"If I find it necessary…would you be willing to do that? Would you be willing to have a witch take away part of your life?" Rem asked, staring right into Mihael's ice-blue eyes.

"…Yes. If…if it was for L, I would certainly do so. I caused a lot of his problems; I should do something to make it up to him…something for like penance, something to…make sure he is happy."

"…" A tiny smile graced Rem's features, and she nodded, "Well, with saying that, I shall not take away your life. By you stating that, you have just proven how unselfish and how compassionate you truly are. You really care for your brother, Mihael, and you regret what was happened, and your part in it. For that, I shall not take away your life, but I will require something else."

"Of course." Mello internally sighed in relief, "What…would you like?"

A bony finger came to Mello's chest, the tip of the appendage touching a bead on Mello's rosary.

"This." The witch stated firmly, her eyes transfixed onto the jewelry.

"My father's rosary?" Mello was somewhat surprised at the request, and his hand came to grasp the piece of religious jewelry firmly. Raye Penbar, the blonde's father, had obtained this rosary, make of black and red beads of garnet and obsidian, from the DEATH war. Well, more so…he had gathered it off a fallen enemy soldier, but had died before he could give it to his son. When the body of the man, husband, and father had returned home, a comrade had given Mihael the rosary, stating his fallen father had wanted to be the one to do so, but now it was up to him.

Mello treasured the rosary, wearing it every day and only taking it off at night and while bathing; to give it up…would be heartbreaking.

"Yes, I would like that…that is precious to you as well, yes?"

"…Yeah…but…" The intelligent blonde slid jewelry off of his neck, and outstretched his hand, offering it to the woman, "Here…Father would have wanted me to do anything to protect L. Even if he really didn't know him that well, my Dad would have wanted me to do the right thing…and he would hate what his daughter has become…so…so take it…take it and help my brother, please!"

Rem nodded, and picked up the rosary, and placed it on a hook on the wall, the golden cross shining in the flickering candlelight.

"Alright, then let us go. We shall take your car." Rem picked up a few books, along with three vials holding colorful liquids, clutching them tightly, staring right at Mihael with her golden eye, "I have all I need with these books and vials and I am sure you have the rest of what I need. Please, let us take our leave."

"Good…and…will you tell me what you wish to use that rosary for? If you can…"

"…That is none of your business, Mihael. I apologize, but it is not. Now, you have water, fabric, and a garden at home right? If so, we shall be fine."

"Yeah, I do…and…don't worry about the rosary…"

Rem exited the room and home first, Mello following somewhat somberly, missing the familiar piece of neckwear that he had worn for years. But, he tried to remind himself that this was for L…his step-brother…and that now was not the time to be selfish or greedy. L's happiness was at stake, and possibly his life.

…Besides…What Mello had told the witch was true and he knew it; Raye would want L to be helped, and he would want Misa to be punished in some way if possible.

"…"

Mello smirked, and sped up his footsteps, hoping into the car quickly, with a whole new mentality about the situation, remembering what he had promised L secretly awhile ago.

_Don't worry, L…I'm coming…_

_And Misa is going to get hers too…_

_I'll see that you become happy, L…_

_And that she gets punished…_

_Like all demons should…and eventually do…_

OoOoOOoooooOoOoOooOOooOOOOooo

**About an Hour Later….Six Fifteen PM**

OOooOoOOOooOOoOOOOOOOOOOoOOOooO

L had been sitting in there for hours but he had found it in vain to actually keep track of time. Why bother when it did not matter?

The raven had heard two cars drive off, and he only assumed Mello had no clue as to where he was, and probably bought whatever horrid lie Misa had put in his ear; and with that, he too had driven off to the ball, unsuspectingly leaving L to wallow in misery in the dank, dark and somewhat creepy wine cellar.

What he regretted most was not being able to even contact Raito to tell him he something had occurred and that he could not make it; he knew the price would be furious and extremely hurt, but he had forgotten his cell-phone in the basement in the home, so all hopes of communication were futile.

_Raito, I am so sorry…I did not see this coming…_

_I hope you can forgive me…and that you will still lo-?!  
_

Loud rumbling noises began to emit from outside the cellar, the walls and floor shaking like an earthquake was occurring. The insomniac jumped to his feet, and he hear a sharp wind pick up all around him, the moans loud, and eerie.

Seconds after the winds picked up, the cellar doors flung open; no, they flew off their hinges, disappearing from L's sight, and the raven gasped.

There…

Stood Mello, with a woman of white skin and a golden eye by his side.

"Hey L!" The blonde smirked at his step-brother's expression of awe and stupor, and Mello even gave a small teasing chuckle,

"Now…I think we have a ball to get you to…"

OOoooOoOooOOOOoOOoOOOOOOOOOOOoOOoo

A/N: : DDD Woohoo….Melly to the rescue! XD

And yes, I know this is short, but I will be putting up the next chapter within days, more possibly this weekend if I am lucky! So, please, do not be upset! And, I needed to separate this chapter and the next one; since something BIG happens in the next one…it'll make it flow better in my opinion ; D

So, please, let me know what you think and after my BETA, JesusofSurburbia at: /jesusofsuburbia2o2o takes a look at this, I may submit this one again…but I REALLY wanted to put it up! Talk to you all soon!


	8. Busted and Broken

A/N: Here is that next chappie!! : D Please enjoy, and thanks for all of you that have read and enjoyed it so far!! ^_^

_OOOooOOoOOOOoOooOOoooOoOOOooOo_

…_Fame is filled with spoiled children  
we grow fat on fantasy  
I guess that's why I'm leaving  
I crave reality…_

_So goodbye Alice in Wonderland  
Goodbye yellow brick road  
There is a difference between dreaming and pretending  
I did not find paradise  
It was only a reflection of my lonely mind wanting  
what's been missing in my life…_

_I hit the bottom when I reached the top  
but I never knew it was you who was breaking my heart  
I thought you had to love me  
But you did not…_

_Yes, a heart can hallucinate  
If it's completely starved for love  
It can even turn monsters into  
Angels from above…_

_You forged my love just like a weapon  
And turned it against me like a knife  
You broke my last heartstring  
But you opened up my eyes_

_So goodbye Alice in Wonderland  
Goodbye yellow brick road  
There is a difference between dreaming and pretending  
That was not love in your eyes  
It was only a reflection of my lonely mind searching  
For what's been missing in my life…_

_And growing up is not an absence of dreaming  
Its being able to understand the difference between  
The ones you can hold and the ones that you've been sold  
But dreaming is a good thing  
Cause it brings new things to life  
Pretending is an ending  
That perpetuates a lie  
Forgetting what you are  
Seeing for what you've been told…_

_Truth is stranger than fiction  
this is my chance to get it right  
Life is much better without all of those pretty lies…_

_So Goodbye Alice in Wonderland  
You can keep your yellow brick road  
Cause there is a difference between dreaming and pretending  
These are not tears in my eyes  
They are only a reflection of my lonely mind finding  
They are only a reflection of my lonely mind finding  
I've found what's missing in my life……_

_"Goodbye Alice in Wonderland"-Jewel_

_OOoOOooOOOoOooOOOOoOOOOOoOOOOOOOoOOOOooOOOoo_

_**~ Near the Royal Grounds, Six-Forty-Five PM: ~**_

That witch was a godsend; that was what was running through L's mind as the car sped along the cobble-stone roads and the paved highway.

Trees flashed by at a blinding rate, and the raven was crouched upon the seat of Mello's car, the blonde himself at the wheel, doing well over the speed-limit, but not caring. For in all truths, the cops did not traverse the backwoods as much. And that was the route Mihael suggested they take, to avoid suspicion and trouble.

Both men agreed that L looked entirely different from what had started out. Adorned in a classic black jacket and white shirt, he looked to be of someone from the English Medieval tales, with fancy textures and buttons adoring both the jacket, and small frills upon the shirt; all of the clothing had been created by Rem herself, through her own complicated spells. The pants were a more modern day black dress slacks, which were tighter than L's normal baggy jeans, the slacks accentuating the raven's curves in all the right places. The young man had on black shoes, but no socks (he insisted to Rem that he drew the line at all socks). The witch had even fixed his ruined mask, and now the silky costume accessory was settled on his pallid face, his black eyes looking out into the world. A golden bracelet was nestled onto L's wrist, Rem stating that usually some form of jewelry was worn to a masque such as this one, and the insomniac agreed. The bags under his eyes were a little lighter, due to Rem using a type of makeup, which she said would wear off by midnight. She had also used a type of blush to bring out L's cheeks, giving him a tiny pink hue, and again, that too would wear off in a few hours. The man's hair was untouched though, all three of them at the home finding its texture and smoothness to be unique and lovely, even after L admitted he did not wash it as often as he should.

The plan to get L into the castle was simple, and Mello was sure that it would work: He would insist to the guards that he wanted to park farther away from the castle, acting like a neurotic new car owner. They would, if Mello acted insane enough, would allow him to do so, all the while L would be crouched down, hiding in the car. The blonde one would leave first, enter, L would follow a few minutes later, invitation in hand and would not be announced, thankfully, for that was not was happening at this ball; the Yagamis always found announcing the arrival of someone at parties to be old-fashioned. The duo had decided that if L entered with Mello, there might be some conflicts or confusion, or Misa might notice and lose what little mind she had.

Finally, after driving for some time, the castle loomed in their sights…

"Alright, we made good time. It's only seven-fifteen." Mello told the other in the back of the car, who was already hunched down as the driving man pulled up to a guard, stating he wished to park near the wooden area, to hopefully avoid the car from being damaged.

"But sir, we can watch it close out here…you have nothing to-"

"LISTEN. THIS BABY cost me a MINT! I will NOT let it be damaged, alright?! Do you GET THAT?!"

A fierce battle of words erupted between the blonde bombshell and the royal watchman, Mello screaming and being an amazing actor all the while, yelling about how the car was not to be touched by "any other mortal hands except MINE!" and how "I eat, breath, sleep, and masturbate in this thing, so don't bother looking inside, outside or at it at all; it doesn't deserve to harbor your repulsive germs!!"

Eventually the guard was either convinced (or scared) well enough, and he allowed the chocolate-fiend to park behind the castle a little ways from the mammoth of a royal home, Mello scurrying out, tapping on the window, giving L the signal to wait a few minutes before leaving the vehicle.

The raven understood, and as the blonde's footsteps retreated, he mentally prepared himself…

_Just remain calm…this is important to yourself and Raito…_

_If it comes down to it that you have to leave, you can always take Raito by the side, and tell him something has come up and that you must leave immediately. I'm…sure he would understand…he did say he loves you after all…_

…

_You're playing a dangerous game here, L…it can either end well, or badly…and I am hoping for the former…_

…_Did I even plan to fall in love with him…No I do not believe that I meant to do so…But I did…_

…_But he is so amazing…intelligent, he matches yours…extremely attractive, and he miraculously find you attractive…he can be cocky, stubborn, arrogant, rude, loud, egotistical…but…_

_You can be all of that too…if you could without facing societal punishments…_

_But, in short…he's just like you…_

_That does not come around often, L…so…_

_Grab this opportunity while you can…While you're still around…_

An uncertain amount of time passed, and finally L exited from the car, approaching the castle from near the darkened surrounding woods. Even though he got weird looks from the guards, he flashed the invitation to them, stunning them somewhat in the process, and let him go on his merry way.

Heading up the steps to the open door, he once again showed the invitation to the door men, who let him enter even further. Able to get a better look into the giant room spread out in front of him, many, hundreds of men and women all dressed gallantly and royally in a rainbow of costumes and masks, ranging from people, animals, fictional beings to even other positions and jobs, such as baker, farmer, and others. All though were headed towards a far door straight ahead, from where L could faintly hear classical music wafting about.

Following them all, the raven tried to hide his nerves, and, thankfully, was not receiving odd looks from any of his fellow party-goers, most likely due to the costume, which made him not stand out at all.

Finally reaching his destination, L internally gasped at what came into his line of vision…

He had reached the outside area of the castle, the greenery magnificent and stunning. Roses bloomed all around, for they were a personal favorite of the Queen's. After the descent down the steps, a gigantic wooden floorboard had been set up over the green grass, where many of the hundreds of people were already beginning to dance with prospective partners. Many others were laughing about, lounging, chatting with their peers and helping themselves to the four buffet tables already set up, one in particular completely covered in various sweets and confectioneries. Set farther back were four thrones, King Soichiro seated next to his wife, Raito on his left, and Sayu on her mother's right. In short, from L's point of view, the prince looked on the verge of boredom…

Until the brunette lifted his head and saw his boyfriend on top of the stairs…

L knew the royal recognized him; the combination of the shining smile, the happy gaze, and the bolting of Raito towards the stairs all gave the raven that conclusion.

This was it…

This night was going to change their lives, L knew it…

_Just…breathe L…you can do this…_

"Just breathe…"

OoOOoOOoOOooOOoooOooOOoOOOoooOooOOOooOOoOoO

Raito had been flat out bored and worried for the past twenty minutes, plain and simple.

That is, until L finally appeared on the steps.

For awhile, the prince was not sure if the other would come, he had been bugging the guards of "Have you seen this man?"-like questions, hoping to gather information if L had come or not yet. The questions turned frantic as the minute (yes, only minutes) worn on, and finally Sayu dragged her brother away from the royal helpers stating the young man was "making a damn fool of himself" and "acting like a worried mother".

And for the longest time, Raito just sat on his throne; he had gotten offers to dance, many from his raving fan-girls, but had heartily refused, stating he was waiting for a special person to arrive.

And finally, said special person did…

The prince nearly skipped heartily to the foot of the stairs, where L was descending to. All the while, the attendants of the party parted like a sea, surprised at the royal's spontaneous behavior, and were all too curious to see where or to whom the man was running to.

With his eyes shining brightly, Raito came to stand in front of his 'secret' lover, who would be no longer be a secret to those of Kisamari by the end of the night. Rumors had gotten around that Raito did have a lover, but his or her gender was undefined, along with their name and status, so many of the women (a.k.a, the fan-girls) were all too excited and anxious to meet this "secret lover".

"…For awhile there, I wasn't sure if you'd make it, L." The prince told his companion once they were in close range of each other.

L blinked, titling his head, his bony hands sliding into the slack's he was wearing pockets, "It…is only a little past seven, Raito, perhaps only seven twenty. You…found this to be a period time to worry about if I was to arrive or not?"

"Uh…well…..I…"

"I believe this is the part where Raito asks me to dance, yes? If…my knowledge of ball-dancing behavior is correct." L stated firmly, cutting off his lover's embarrassing rambles.

"…You can be such an ass sometimes…" The brunette chuckled, shaking his head with a smile, and took L's hand into his, pulling him closer.

"Mmm, yes, I can be…but Raito loves it when I am an ass…and he loves my ass in general if his murmurs from a few nights ago speak truthfully."

"…Oh, shut up…" Raito pulled the raven close, and laid a chaste, lip-sealing kiss upon the pale lips of the younger man, and instantly, a screech from a woman nearby erupted.

"HE'S GAY?!"

"OMG, NOOOOOO!!"

"RAITO-SAMA GAY?! IT CAN'T BE!?"

"There go my FUTURE CHILDREN!"

"WHO is he with!?"

"Agh, the guy looks like a RAVEN!"

"A RAVEN?! AGH! I THOUGHT HE HAD GOOD TASTE!"

"….But Raven Boy has a nice ass-"

BONK…

And there was one less talkative fan-girl at the party, the woman's body unconscious body put off to the side as the shrieking continued to echo into the night; it all made Raito twitch in embarrassment, especially when the princess spoke up…using a blow horn to get the attention of all.

"QUIET!!! Is this REALLY a surprise!? GOD ALMIGHTY…" The young Yagami woman shook her head, and nearby her father slapped the palm of his right hand to his forehead, "Now just let the men DANCE. And I KNOW many of you women are into guy-on-guy action, so LIVE with it and ENJOY it for Christ sakes!"

…

The simultaneous sweat-drops of L, the three other Yagamis and the guests of the ball were truly not a surprise in all sense, yes?

But the music started up again after Sayu glared at the musicians, and once the fan-girls had quieted down. The women were pouting, which was a majority of them actually, but one or two took a few pictures of the "newly-discovered" couple as Raito dragged L out towards the dance floor.

"So, I never asked, but do you actually dance?"

"…Not really," L replied as a tan hand came to rest at his waist, another hand entwining with the raven's own, "I am not one for dancing…so forgive me in advance if I so happen to step on your royal toes, Raito."

"Hah…really, well, thank you for the warning," The brunette replied as he spun L gently, the grip on the insomniac's waist tightening a little, somewhat possessively.

L didn't dance, and frankly, he didn't know how. He figured he would be ending up on the floor (or, more hopefully, on top of Raito), but surprisingly, that didn't happen, not at all actually. The raven's feet moved elegantly as Raito spun him around, holding him close, tightly. The prince's hand never let go of his, grasping L's lithe one as they turned gently, royally, across the wooden floor, lights hung on string and wires glowing softly above both of their heads.

"I thought you said you didn't dance…yet you're extremely light on your feet." The brunette teased his lover as they spun again, hands barely touching this time, "And you know how to dance…you know how to move."

"…Perhaps I am just lucky?" The raven returned as Raito brought him closer, switching their positions; the older royal took L's right hand in his left, back to him, the insomniac doing the opposite. They spun again slowly, and L knew he probably wasn't just lucky; knowing him, Rem had cast some form of a spell on his feet, shoes, or some part of his body to make him a better dancer.

"Oh, and here, I thought I was the lucky one….With you here and all…"

"…Is Raito trying to be a romantic, because he is failing somewhat at that…. Instead, he is sounding like a-!!"

Raito cut L off when he gently dipped the raven once their positions changed again, kissing the younger, darker-haired man softly, the man's midnight orbs widening to an extreme degree.

"You were saying?" The smirk upon the royal's face was purely teasing, and even a little cocky, and L wanted to wipe it off of him…in the nicest way possible of course.

"…I think Raito should just shut up and-"

"Sleep with you?" The brunette whispered seductively, along with doing an eyebrow wiggle, both causing L to flash a bright red.

"N-No, I mean-"

"Fuck you?"

"No, I meant-"

"Marry you?"

"What?"

"Huh?"

"…Just shut up and dance with me, Raito, before you talk yourself into an early grave." L pouted as the prince lifted him up again, taking one of L's hands and continued the dance around the floor, leading him around gently, spinning the raven elegantly, and holding him close; sepia eyes all the while staring lovingly at the raven in front of him.

The classical strings and winds began winding down, the number finishing softly, all of the couples around the 'duo of the hour' that were dancing slowing down with the timing of the band nearby. Raito pulled L impossibly closer, chests touching. Raito placed a tan hand upon L's chin, lifting the insomniac's face closer to his own.

Pallid lips were about to spark with fuller, pink ones…

When…

"STOP THE DANCE NOW!!!"

L knew that voice…

He had known that voice for years…ever since he was a little boy.

The voice of a demon-ness, who made his life a living Hell; all because she was jealous of him, blamed him for Naomi's death, and because of pure hatred. All of the woman's motives were still somewhat unclear to L, but he knew the gist of them.

Misa sashayed, descending the steps, she had been in the restroom with her "posse", consisting of Takada, Ami, Mimi, and Sari; she stormed through the crowd, which parted quickly, in fear of the steaming woman coming towards the center of the floor.

Her target:

L, who else?

The raven did not have any time to react, barely even had time to look to his right, when Misa lunged out of nowhere, ripping L's outfit, tearing it greatly off the insomniac's shoulders, fabric flying.

"WHAT are you doing?!" Raito cried out as gasps and shouts went through the now standing-still crowd.

"I'M stopping this lie once and for all Your Highness, forgive my intrusion, but it is for the best!" Misa screeched, sneering at L, "THAT man is a lie!"

_No………NO…This…_

"What do you mean?! This man is my boyfriend, noble of the Misora family, and my soon-to-be-"

"HA! As you know Sir, or maybe you do not, I am a Misora. Misa Amane Misora is my full name, and that man is NOT a Misora!"

More gasps rang out into the crowd, but Raito's expression did not a falter a bit.

"Miss…Misa. You must be mistaken. L has said that he is one, and-"

"L is a LIAR! He's my servant! He's been my family's servant ever since he was a kid. He's lied to you this entire time, Your Highness! Completely and flat out LIED to you! I bet he was just doing this to hurt you!"

Even more screams of shock escaped the crowd; the King and Queen's jaws dropped, and Sayu Yagami's eyes widened to epic proportions.

"Heh…..C-Come on. L? LIE? Please…" The prince was finally showing signs of fluster and doubts; when he really thought about it, L had been quite secretive…"Hey, L, she's lying right? Come on, tell me she's being…false."

…

_I…_

_I cannot do this anymore…_

_I just can't…_

_It…takes too much energy…_

_And will just hurt more in the long run…_

_I'm sorry, Raito…_

"…" L was silent, staring at the floor, a smirking Misa hanging nearby.

"…L?"

"…I'm sorry."

"?!" Raito gasped, shaking his head, blinking rapidly and repeatedly, "W-What are you saying, L?"

"…She's not lying."

Screaming echoed out again, and some of the fan-girls fainted. King Soichiro's hand came to rest upon his forehead, and the Queen's head shook sadly; both knew what was to happen next…

Their son would go ballistic…

"YOU are a SERVANT?!"

"Raito, please, I can explain-" L pleaded, hands folded in a silent prayer.

"YOU LIED TO ME?!"

"Raito, forgive me, I-"

BAM…

L figured Raito would be enraged, but PUNCHING him…well, L had never predicted the royal would physically lay a hand on him.

The raven fell to the ground, and he heard a familiar cry of "L!", the voice being Mello; L looked up to see Matt holding his stepbrother back, and secretly, the servant thanked him, for he knew Mello would probably secretly pull out a gun and attack the prince for that punch alone.

"You piece of slime! How could you LIE to me?! Has this all been a lie to you!? Just a sick game!?"

"Raito, no, I swear…It wasn't!"

For once in a long time, L…was crying.

Ebony orbs were dotted with tears that were still holding strong, not falling just yet…

"BULL. You're all the same, filthy lying creatures! You never loved me, DID YOU?!"

"NO! Raito, I DO, I'm just a-"

"LIAR?! Why YES, you ARE!"

"Raito, PLEASE, just listen to me!"

"How can I!? You'll just be spouting more lies!"

"I-I never m-meant to let it go this far, believe me!"

…The tears finally started pouring down L's face……

"Save your tears for someone who CARES L the Servant. Get out of my sight…There's nothing left to say or feel."

"Raito, don't let it end like this! If you love me, you'll-"

SLAP…

A final hit across L's cheeks, and a cry of "YOU BASTARD!" from Mello, who else, sealed the deal for all of time; the raven felt his heart break…and he did not know what to feel.

"Someone such as you does not tell someone such as me what to do, you piece of dirt. Not only that…I can't love someone like you."

"…Like a servant…or a liar?" L whispered softly, his lithe frame trembling shakily.

"…BOTH." Raito snarled, and that was L's cue to jump to his feet and run…

He wasn't sure where he was running, but as he began to head through the crowd, the young man tripped, and cast one last glance at Raito…

Who had ordered that the music start up again…

And L found, as he shot a tearful look to the prince…

That he was dancing with Misa…

L felt the last pieces of his heart shatter, even more so when Raito gave an evil sneer and glance in his direction.

Thankfully, Mello, a loyal sibling and friend, ran to the raven's side, helping him up…

But as L did so, he lost one of his precious shoes….and did not care to go back for it…

He just kept running, down the steps, out of the castle, and to Mello's car, the blonde hopping into the driver's seat to escort his brother home…

If L had turned around one last time, he would have seen Raito push Misa away somewhat roughly, and turn and run out of the garden, tears in his own eyes.

…Neither had predicted it would come to this……

OoOoooooooooooooooOOOOOOoOoOooOOOooOo

**Hours Later….11 PM…..Outside, on One of the Royal Castle's Ledges, Near a Guard post…**

OoOOoOOoOOoOOoOoOOOoOooOooOOooOoooooOOoOOooOOoOOOoOO

The rain poured down from the Heavens, in grey sheets of cold dampness, but Raito did not move an inch. Even as the water soaked through his clothes, he paid it no heed.

He had found solace upon this ledge, his back against the wall where guards would usually stand; but he had shooed them all away, stating he needed privacy.

The young man could not believe all that had occurred that evening; the news that L was indeed an actual servant startled him, scared him…and confused him. It enraged him, saddened him, and made him want to punch a wall…

Or in his case, L himself.

But his anger still steamed as he sat there; how long had L been planning to keep up his charade? Was the "love" real? Was this all just a dream? Did L mean anything? All were the questions that were buoying in the royal's mind.

It had been deathly silent for hours, but finally footsteps neared Raito's position and the brunette cast a glance to his right, seeing a wet Mail Jeevas, holding something behind his back.

"You…you disgusted me tonight, Raito." Matt muttered silently, shaking his head a tiny bit.

"HOW? He's the one who lied to me, or did you forget that?"

"…He didn't mean to. L wanted to tell you, he really did."

"…You knew about this Matt?" Raito questioned softly, eyes glued to the ground.

"Yes. I didn't want to tell you though; I wanted L to be the one to tell you, and he did too. But…I'm not surprised he didn't tell you, after seeing all that happened tonight, to be honest."

"And what does that mean!?" The brunette snarled at his best friend, his anger starting to boil again.

"Well, he figured you'd probably act like this, but that's just a guess…but…also…"

"WHAT?"

"You…didn't give him a reason to actually trust you, Raito." Matt stated softly, his eyes shining with remorse.

"…What do you mean…?" Something struck inside the prince, and he was not sure of its name, and instantly, the royal felt his anger cool.

"Have you ever given a reason that would make L tell you flat out that he was a servant? Did you ever show that you would accept him if he did so?"

"…"

Raito did not even have to speak an answer, for both knew it: NO.

The brunette had shown his hatred of servants and slaves well enough over the time he and L had encountered each other, so it only made sense L would not want to mention that, fearing the repercussions.

…_He probably…f-feared it even more after…he said…and I said…_

_Oh…No…_

Raito's eyes widened, and he subconsciously clenched his fists, knuckles turning snow white.

"…And he probably was fearing to tell you, since….you two fell in love. Just from…observing him, he didn't want to ruin what you two had."

…_Had…N-No…_

_Hehe…don't say **had**…I mean…we…we…_

"…Heh…c-couldn't he…have found someone else?" Raito choked out, finding his throat becoming tight with emotion.

"…Not really. He told me that he really hasn't experienced love in his life, actually. His step-mother died, and only Mello, his step-brother, really cared about him."

"S-Step-mother? You mean…the woman Misora? B-But I thought L was their servant-"

"There's more to this story than you know, Raito." Matt stated firmly, "L and Mello told me because they knew I wouldn't harm L."

…_More…? There's…more…_

_Oh…Oh God…_

"…But he's a servant…r-right? I-I can't fall in love with a servant…" Raito was trying to grasp onto any last pieces of 'sanity' and 'rightness' that he had.

"…Did you fall in love with L the Servant or just L? Or even L 'Misora'?"

"…"

And there went Raito's last pieces…

He knew the answer, it was as clear as daylight…

"…Just L…" The prince whispered, and choked out and "Oh God…"

"…That's why I can't believe you did all of that…you punched him and slapped him for God's sake, Raito…what were you thinking?"

"…I wasn't…" The brunette had buried his face in his palms of his hands, wanting to shield his eyes from Matt's now-hard stare.

"…Then maybe he really didn't deserve you. And maybe you didn't deserve him. I'm sorry to say that, but really, Raito…He really didn't deserve to have his heartbroken. You could have talked this all out reasonably, you know. He....L never meant to keep up this lie, he did want to tell you. But…he was afraid…"

"Afraid of getting his heart broken…?" Raito whispered, and he looked up to see Matt nod.

"And he was also afraid to break your heart…he really loved you dearly, he told me that lots during car trips. You should've seen the way his eyes lit up whenever he spoke of you…"

"…" Raito only responded with a sniff; the full weight of exactly what had occurred that night crushing him and his heart like a boulder.

"…I think I'll leave you alone…" Matt stepped closer to Raito, and slowly placed L's shoe down on a block on the castle's wall, and headed back in the direction from whence he had come.

The prince gazed up to see the shoe, and hurriedly took it into his hands, recognizing it immediately to be L's.

…_God…what have I done…?_

…_L…Oh, God, I…I ruined all of it…_

_He might've lied…might've kept up a charade…but…_

_He did love me…I saw it in his eyes, heard it straight from those pretty lips of his…_

_And it didn't want to tell me…because he knew that this was how I would exactly behave…childish and petty…or at least extremely stupid…_

_And…I don't care if he's a servant…! I DON'T…I love him…I was gonna propose to him tonight…!!_

…_Instead, you sucker punch him and bitchslap him…oh yea, that's GREAT…_

_JUST DAMN GREAT…!!_

_I've lost him, now…haven't I…?_

_HAVEN'T I…_

_And I danced with…that Misa girl after…UGH…_

…

_Oh…L…L, I'm SORRY…_

Raito reached up and grabbed the shoe, and held it tightly against his chest, letting tears fall down to the ground, mixing in with the rain.

_L…L, God, I'm so sorry…I didn't mean what I said…I love you, I fucking love you, you jerk…_

_No, I'm the jerk…you're an angel…who is just in some bad circumstances…_

_You're such an angel…that beautiful smile…those pretty eyes…_

_OH, GOD, I miss you already…but it's my entire fault…yeah, you lied, but…I hit you, talked down to you…said that I didn't love you…couldn't love you……which is the BIGGEST LIE the world has ever seen…_

…_I'm sorry…I…_

_I love you…_

…_I do…_

_I DO DAMMIT…but now you think otherwise…_

……_And I don't blame you, L…_

_I don't blame you at all…_

And he sat there, for God knows how long, crying, the tears falling harder and faster as the minutes and hours wore on. The rain seeped into his skin, chilling him, but Raito did not care at all…

But the rain…

Did nothing to ease his aching heart…

OoOoooooooooooooooOOOOOOoOoOooOOOooOo

**Miles away, in the Hasegawa Woods, the Far side of the Kisamari Kingdom…**

OOOOoooooooOoOOOooooOooooooooooooooOoooooooooooooooooooooo

Beyond Birthday had done it again; a masterful killing that would go down in history.

The blood was all over the shrubbery, vines and thorns in the darkened woods, and as B moved his bloody hand upon the rotting oak tree, he hummed a happy tune, delighted that his plan was finally complete.

The bloody 'T' on the farther away tree was perfectly shaped, and now Beyond's exclamation point had turned out to be perfection as well.

At first, the killer was unsure of whether to use punctuation in his message, but he had come to realize that it made more sense to use it and it would give the investigators more clues, and let them know that his work, for now, was done.

I WANT LAWLIET!

"Perfect…" The wielder of the Eyes, which shone brightly red in the darkness, the rain beginning to stop in that part of the woods, "Absolutely perfect…"

"I'm coming for you Lawli…my little Lawli-pop…You deserve me, I deserve you…we were made for each other…"

The copy giggled as he skipped over the dead body of his newest victim, a twenty-two year old male, who was to turn one year older tomorrow…

Organs, specifically the heart, intestine, and the stomach, of the man were strewn all over the fields, blood seeping into the ground.

Oh, it was a glorious night to be Beyond Birthday…

"A glorious night indeed…" The man whispered as he hopped into the brush, knowing now that he must be patient…

Patient so his Lawliet would come to him….

OOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooOoOOo

A/N: Sad, sad, I know D:

It was hard to write, to be honest…T-T

But, it is NOT, I repeat NOT over yet ; D There's still much more to come, so stay tuned! And thank you for the lovely reviews and alerts, ciao for now!! : D


	9. Royally Depressed & Saved by Royalty

A/n: Heeey! Time for An update on the Fairytale! ^^

Last chapter was pretty upsetting, ne? D: Well, this one has some more drama, and not as much sadness, so I hope you enjoy it! ^_^ Cookies to all of you who reviewed last time, I'm sorry I did not get to reply, I've been extremely busy (DX SCHOOL!), but I'll try to reply to those that I have not yet done so to, and the new ones to! ; D

So, please enjoyed, and thanks for reading so far!! : D

_OoOOOooOooOoOOOOOOooOOooOOOooOOoO_

_"I haven't been quite the same,  
So sure the story of my life would never change.  
But in a bright-eyed way, she rinsed out the soap in my eyes,  
And wrote a song that I'm about to sing._

She's a magnetic girl  
That I hardly even know.  
So this is not another love song.  
Just a list of things that I should know,  
And everyone should know that:

1. You got to take it kind of slowly  
2. You got to hurry up and make your move  
3. You got to tell her how you're feeling  
4. You got to be the perfect gentleman.

When you shake the walls, you got to make 'em bend, yeah.  
You got to show her that  
She's the balance beam  
And I keep falling all around her fairy tale.  
(Her fairy tale)

…_I suggested, she confess:  
"There's a heart nearby to cast the shame."_

Stay cool…  
But I'm giddy like a school boy.  
You got to handle with care:  
This is not a toy…

…_I never thought I'd smile so much  
The first kiss always says the most._

_You got to show her that  
She's the balance beam  
And I keep falling all around her fairy tale.  
(Fairy tale...)."_

_- "Fairytale" by Blue October_

_OoOOoooOOooOOoOOOooOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOoooooooOoOOOooo_

If any sight could be considered painfully mournful to look at, there would be no other candidate than the man Yagami Raito. It had been nine days since the masque ball, and to say that Raito was a wreck would be putting it mildly.

For the first three days, the man did nothing but wander around the castle halls, seeming to be in a shocked daze; in all points of honesty, he still was. For here was a man that had the power (and future power) to obtain whatever he could had, and he had already done that for years, but when it came to the one thing that he truly did want, that he truly did need, it would be unobtainable.

…That "thing" of course, being L.

Alas, though, the thought of never having L again, mainly due to his own actions, had lead the prince to cut off everything else in his life; those first three days, consisting of wandering, grunting in reply to comments, and little food, were dull, drab, and depressing. The whole castle was awash in those feelings; no one felt like saying anything relating to the incident, and they especially kept away from the gloomy prince. Even giving the young royal a sympathetic glance got a worker growled at by Raito.

The fourth day was probably the worst, though. Soichiro called a family meeting after noticing his son's disturbing behavior, his wife by his side, and his son and daughter in front of him.

"Raito…your behavior needs to change, and you know it."

"…I think my behavior is perfectly acceptable, Father…" The chocolate-color haired man muttered, with a somber tone, eyes glued to the floor.

"Now, the whole event four days ago was embarrassing, yes, but that is no-"

"I'm not embarrassed about the ball, I'm embarrassed about my behavior. Frankly…I'm more upset than embarrassed."

"…I see. Nevertheless Raito, time moves on and so shall you. That is why you shall be meeting with the Princess of Duchawni tomorrow, as a date. You'll go back to courting the women until we find you a suitable wife."

"!?" Both of the Yagami woman turned shock expressions to the King, and Sayu spoke up, "But Dad! Raito's heart just got broken, what are you doing?! He-"

"…I'll handle this Sayu." The prince placed a hand over his sister's shoulder, and the young woman noticed her brother was trembling greatly.

"…How dare you…"

"Raito?" The King was apprehensive when he heard the young man's tone.

"How DARE you try to say that I move on!? Do you think I can do that!? DO you?" Raito was finally letting out all of the pent-up frustration that he had held in for the past three days.

"…"

"I LOST him, Otou-san! By my OWN actions, do you comprehend that? That is NOT something you just get over within a few days; hell, I'll NEVER get over it! I don't WANT anyone else BUT him. Don't you get that I LOVED him, and that I still DO!?"

"But Raito, he's a servant, why-"

"So WHAT? I didn't like him for his title! He could be a…homeless person, or some great detective, and I'd still love him, Father!"

"…Think of the kingdom, Son. If you keep chasing this now-unattainable man, you'll-"

"SCREW the kingdom. I'm doing this for myself. And…" Tears were finally starting to come from Raito's eyes, "Y-Yeah…he is unattainable now, probably will be for the rest of my life unless I get saved by a miracle again…but I don't care. You don't get over your love…your real lover, the one you're supposed to be with for the rest of your days. And I just KNOW that that was supposed to be him, I just know it Father. And **I** messed it up, so I'll be damned if someone tells me I cannot act the way I have been acting, because I don't know what else to feel at this point. And just because your love was like something out of a crappy fairytale book, doesn't mean mine is going to be the same. Just because you had a miracle happen to you doesn't mean you can force Sayu and I to try to have something similar happen; do you understand that?"

"…"

"S-So…I'm NOT DOING IT ANYMORE! I'm NOT meeting with these women, who I hate so much, just to please you! I only kept doing that before I met L because one, you made me, and two, I was bored! I hated it! No WONDER I got turned off to women, with all the horrid ones you made me go with! And just when I find a MIRACLE in L, I shove it all away! Put yourself in MY shoes for once, DAD! Oh, but NOO! You can't, because you don't WANT to. You think I can just sweep this under the rug, say bye, and all will be perfectly happy and DANDY. That's what you do, isn't it? Well, I'm NOT you! And I CAN'T let this go."

"…Raito…"

"I LOVE HIM!" By this time, Raito was in hysterics, "I wanted to MARRY HIM!" The prince took out a gold band from his pocket that had been in there for days, the man not having the heart to remove it from his person, "THIS was going to be his that night! Don't you GET THAT!? I LOVE HIM! And I just WISH I could get him BACK! But what can I DO!? NOTHING! I need HIM more than he needs me; HE is better off without me, and I don't want to admit it, but it's true. But I don't care; if I want to drown in my sorrows, just let me, don't…don't tell me to get over it. Just don't."

With that, the brunette turned his back on his family, and rushed up the stairs, shielding his teary eyes from the others. The Yagami women had given somber smiles, silently agreeing with the young man, while the King had rubbed his temple with a frustrated sigh, realizing this situation was much worse than what he had predicted.

For the next five days…Raito did not leave his room.

Only to get food, but he had requested Ryuk to bring it up to his door, knock, then leave, and the royal would just open the door and get it; other than that, the door was never open, and this new behavior pattern worried the castle's residents even more so. Some had tried to listen outside the door to hear any sounds; mainly, rustling, soft sobbing, and even some noisy consumption of food could be heard.

By the ninth day, with Raito still not having taken one step outside his personal abode (the prince's private bathroom must have been in great use during those days), Mail Jeevas had finally had enough. He was worried like a mother hen, and he hypothesized if that kept up, he'd lose his beautiful hair before he would be able to get Mello to run his hands through it lovingly.

Speaking of Mello, the red-head had last had contact with the blonde on day five of "Raito Lockup", and when the two had spoken, the Misora boy had been kind when speaking of Matt, and him, but curt when it came to the Jeevas' royal best friend. Also, the man did not speak of L once, which worried Matt as well; perhaps something had happened to the raven? Or was he just locking himself away as well, in his room?

Nevertheless, here was the gamer, standing before the prince's bedroom, and Sayu, also concerned and seeing the boy standing outside the room and deciding to come and join him, was also there.

"…I don't know if I want to go in there…"

"Not like we have a choice, Sayu, and you know it." Matt grounded out his latest cigarette with the heel of his boot after smashing it onto the carpet.

"But…what if he looks like some…monster….or some really…nasty thing…?"

"Sayu, this is RAITO. Mr. "Keeps a Great Appearance Twenty-four-seven"; if anything, he might be too clean…you know?"

"I highly, doubt that…you knock."

"Oh, HELL no. YOU knock. He'd kill ME if I knocked, YOU are his sister."

"You're kidding, right? He's more likely to kill me than you!"

The duo quarreled and quibbled for some time, until finally deciding, in all fairness, to knock simultaneously. Loud banging sounded out down the hall, and then…

"…"

Silence from the other side of the door, which annoyed Mail Jeevas to major ends.

"Rrrr…RAITO!!"

Matt, finally at his wits end, did not proceed to continue knocking, instead settling for barging into the room by kicking the door down, scaring the young princess out of her mind at the action.

"Alright, Raito, it's time to…wake…up…"

The gamer stopped his sentence when the prince came completely into his view. The royal was now sitting up in his bed, in surprise (though he did not show it), and was a sight to see.

Sepia eyes were bloodshot and red, mainly due to the crying and the tears they had shed over the past days. Once skin, so tan and healthy, was now turning a pallid shade. Dark bags were under Raito's eyes from a lack of sleep; brunette locks that used to radiate lovely in the golden sunlight and were always in perfect order were now dirty and tousled, as if the prince was in a permanent state of "bed head". The actual gaze on the man was dazed, hard, and positively dreadful. His attire was that of pajamas, pinstripe silk pants and a matching top. The prince was also wearing a terry cloth robe which was bundled up around his now thinner body. Around the man were small cartons of ice cream, all of various Ben & Jerry's flavors, silverware and dishware, cups of tea and warm milk, some fruit peelings, and many, many candy wrappers. The curtains were closed all but a tiny crack, which let a minute amount of light in; three candles were burning in the room though, and a small table lamp was lit, even though it was one in the afternoon. Dirty clothes, mainly pajamas were everywhere, along with some beauty supplies, shampoo, gel, and conditioner, which looked like they had not been used in days. Books were too flung about haphazardly, some lying open, and Matt noticed many were, dare he say it, sappy romance novels and even some girly CD's, full of women's love songs about broken hearts. There was an even greater supply of used Kleenex lying about the room; many on the ground next to Raito's bed, and around his panda slippers (L had bought those for him as a joke gift while out shopping on their first date); the slippers, though, had a blanket covered over them, for the sight of them had brought tears to the royal's eyes.

All in all, dare I say a pun…Raito was a royal mess.

"God, you're a mess…" Matt mused to himself more than anyone as he stepped closer to the royal, whom gave the red-head a dirty look; the young man held quite a scary expression on his worn face, and just groaned at Mail's comments and observing eyes.

"I thought I told everyone not to disturb me." The brunette growled out, and his best friend just rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, and that lasted for all of nine days, and no someone is disturbing you; someone who isn't afraid of you, no matter how horrid you look. You need a damn wake-up call, and you're gonna get one, because I care about you."

"…I honestly have no idea what you're…talking about."

"Raito-"

"Just leave me alone, Matt." Raito turned over, flopping back onto his stomach, head on his pillow, facing away from the two in the doorway.

"Onii-chan…we just want to help, really."

"…You can't help me Sayu, so just go, okay?"

"…" Matt's fists clenched tightly, and a dark scowl settled on his face, "I can't believe you, Raito. I just can't." He took steps closer to his best friend, until he was standing on the left side of the bed; the prince kept his head buried in the silken, royal pillows, and the gamer heard a soft sniff echo from the brunette.

"Okay, it's time for you to stop being the crying baby, okay? Seriously, it's just getting old."

"…Why SHOULD I?" Raito's head shot up, a few tears already falling down, a black expression on his face, daggers shooting out of his eyes.

"Look at yourself, Raito, you're a mess. Eating a bunch of small gallons of ice-cream, staying in your room, no, bed for nine days? Reading…" Here, the man picked up a nearby romance novel, cringing, and then flinging it aside, "Trash like that meant for post-menopausal women? Listening to…ugh, I don't want to even know who Missy Mia is. Raito, you can't act like this forever."

"…But I miss him…" The prince whispered softly, his expression dissolving into somberness and mourning.

Matt sighed, "I know but…"

"What? You're going to ask me to move on TOO? I just can't DO that! Would YOU!? I know you're involved with that Mello guy, what if this happened to you, would you just mosey on along to someone else? After ALL that you've been through." Raito's breathing was escalating, and he shook his head, "I need him here, he keeps me sane, keeps me grounded. I…I didn't realize how much I need him. Heh….you always think you'll…make the other one think that they need you. Make it so that they require **you** in their life, not vice versa. But it always turns out to be the opposite. And the other party usually doesn't even realize how they make you feel…like L. I bet…h-he doesn't even know…or even care how much…I-I'm feeling… what I have been feeling. But why would he? He…he doesn't need me like that…he's better than me."

"…Are you sure of that? Maybe he does need you. Mello hasn't said much about him, actually."

"No, I know…and besides…it's too late anyway."

"Too late?"

"Yeah," Raito continued, "Why bother? He…he doesn't love me. But I don't want to forget about it, even though it's not worth bothering to-"

"OH COME ON!" Matt shouted, and with a rough shove, pushed the royal out of his bed, who fell to the floor with a scream of shock, fully awake now; Matt jumped on the bed, staring down at his friend on the ground," Shut the hell UP Raito!"

"…" The brunette just stared, and the red-head took this as an invitation to continue.

"It's not worth trying to FIGHT for, is that what you were going to say? Was it!?"

"W-Well-"

"Shut up, you know that was what you were going to say. And that is the stupidest thing you've ever spouted from that mouth of yours, seriously. I know, with all of my being, that THAT is the one thing actually worth fighting for here in this place; And do you even realize what a great thing you had?!"

"…**Had.** As in past tense, and-"

"Screw the damn past and past tense!" Matt grabbed Raito by his top, pulling him closer, "You LOVE that man, and you're just going to let him walk away just like THAT?! HOW!? WHY?! Do you even UNDERSTAND the position you are in at this very moment!? Go AFTER him, you damn idiot!!" The gamer was screaming, "If you want something, you chase it down, if you want a lover back, you go and FOLLOW AFTER HIM! You don't just let him cavort off to God knows where and to whom!"

"But…I fear…"

"Yeah, yeah, you 'Fear getting hurt again'; well, NEWS FLASH, you did this to yourself, and all you're doing is sitting here sorry for YOURSELF. YOU made the mistake, NOT L, and YOU can fix it, and I'd suggest you do it SOON, as in NOW!"

"…" The brunette royal was silent, eyes glued to the ground, a comprehending expression on his face.

"Yeah! Matt's right!" Sayu piped up, "If a guy did that to me, and came back and tried to apologize, I'd probably take him back if it was real! So get off you fat Ben & Jerry's Phish Food ice-cream filled ass and GO AFTER HIM!"

"…Probably. See, there's the chance he might…might not forgive me. Might not take me back…I…I don't know if I'm really prepared to stick my neck out and have the possibility of it getting sliced by him."

"Yeah, there's a chance he might not take you back, but are you really surprised? After all of that? But…you don't know for sure, Raito. You really don't. He might take you back, and all you can do is try." Matt was speaking softer by now.

"…And if he doesn't…" Raito sighed, shaking his head, "I have no clue as to what I'd do if he said no…you two…you'll be there for me if he says no, right? I…I won't be mad at him if he says it, but…I just need to make sure that I'll have someone to fall onto in case I get hurt again. But hey, maybe I deserve a little pain, heh…"

"…I read once that love is pain. It's painful," Sayu whispered as he sat on the bed, "It just…is. You end up hurting each other, causing pain; it's pretty much a hellish nightmare. But in the end…"

"…Yeah? C'mon Sayu, spill it, you know I suck at this love business."

"Psh, like that wasn't obvious; anyway…in the end…things turn out okay. Like some sort of lovely fairytale!" The princess shone a sweet smile, which did not affect her brother in the least, for he spoke, while a sweat drop came to him as well.

"Dammit, Sayu, this isn't some sissy love fairytale here out of one of your books, this is real life here!" Raito paused, shaking his head with a sigh,"…Alright."

"…Heh. See, told ya I'd convince him." Matt gave the thumbs up to the princess, who returned the gesture.

"Help me get my clothes…It's time I made a last stand to save this. And Matt…"

"Eh?" The gamer actually lifted his goggles to look his friend in the eye.

"…Thanks." The royal patted his best friend's shoulder with a smile that hadn't been there in more than a week and a half, "I was feeling sorry for myself, and I'm the only one who can fix this. I might just be able to fix this…so get the royal cars ready. We've got a house to visit."

An engine revved up, and after dressing courtly, Raito, along with Matt, jumped into a Royal Mercedes, the brunette handing the driver a written note of direction to the Misora household. Other guards followed along in a train of Mercedes as well.

"And step on, I've waited too long already, let's not stretch the time out any further."

OoOOOoOoOooooooooooooooooooOoOOOOOOOOOOo

The house was too quiet for Mello's taste; one could have heard the dead walk and talk in his opinion.

He was resting on the couch, head in his hands, frustrated, furious, and wanted to punch something, anything at this point. The blonde had not expected the recent turn of events that had taken place the day after the masque, and he feared to tell Mail about, worrying that it might cause the prince to either freak out and take action, which he far from wanted, or for the prince to not care, and have that piece of information leak back to his step-brother, causing the raven more pain.

_Though, _he doubted, _I don't believe L would find out if that bastard was uncaring about his new situation…since he's…I don't even want to say it to myself…_

It was all that jealous Misa's fault anyway; L had not done anything, anything at all.

But it was no use arguing over…

But perhaps punching someone over?

Oooh…Mello remembered that night his brother was struck down by that so-called royal, and every time the chocolate lover pictured it, the image made his blood boil to extremes. And then slapping too! What did that man think his brother was, some animal he could torture?! L was human, despite his status!

Mello felt remorse that he had not taken action sooner, but he had known that night if he had struck down Raito in any way, his head would have been chopped off, L left as a heartbroken wreck, open to Misa's torturous behavior once more. The chocolate fiend was L's only protector in this world, and even though Mihael felt he did fail him now, after everything, he swore vengeance the moment he had come home that night with a tearful raven begging to be held close, with his brother complying.

_If I ever see that son of a-?!_

"Speak of the Devil…" Mello spat out, glaring out his front window, spotting a train of Royal Mercedes pulling up in front of the small home, just as the blonde was standing up.

The young blonde wasted no time, and as soon as Raito Yagami had exited the first car, he stormed out of the house, spitting out,

"How DARE you show your face here again, you BASTARD!"

"Mel-!!"

Mihael gave Raito no time to react or comment, slamming a hard fisted punch into the royal face as the brunette gave a scream of shock and pain, falling back onto the ground in a daze.

"Your Highness!" Guards rushed over as soon as the punch met its target, but the prince waved dazedly to them, saying,

"D-Don't worry…I…deserved that, and-!!"

SLAM…

Mello slammed another fist into the brunette, this time Raito falling back towards the car; Matt, knowing Mello, his still-not-official boyfriend was about to go postal on the other, the PRINCE and his BEST friend, stepped in, holding Mihael back.

"Mells, calm down…hey…hey, put down your boot!!"

The blonde had already unzipped his boot, pulling it off of himself rapidly, and had marched closer to the wounded royal, and even though Mail was holding him back quite tightly, Mello had begun to hit Raito with the shoe, hitting some careful, painful blows.

"I'll kill you, you bastard! After what you did to my brother!"

"Ah! H-HEY! Stop!" The brunette's hands were up in defense, trying to block the shoe from causing more bruises, "Please, I just want to talk to him!"

"Mello, calm down." Matt tried to be the sensible one at this point, "He does just want to talk. I know you're angry, but please-"

"It doesn't matter anyway, he can't talk to L!"

Finally losing strength, Mello threw the shoe at Raito, causing a yelp from the prince, and the chocolate fiend tried to catch his pounding breath.

"…Y-You done?"

"…NO!" Mihael got set off by those two words, and began clawing at the prince as his red-haired companion's grip tightened even more. Raito just watched, scared of course, yet he felt no pity for himself.

…Was that how L had felt before? But ten, no, a hundred times worse?

"…Just let me talk to L, Mihael Keehl Misora."

"I just said you CAN'T!"

"Why not?! Be reasonable and sane and stop acting like a wild animal, and let me speak to him!"

"I'll act however I damn well want to YOUR HIGHNESS, lest you've forgotten what you did to my brother!" The title had been spat out like venom from a serpent.

"…I have not forgotten, and that is why I wish to speak to him."

"You CAN'T!"

"And why can I NOT!?" Raito was now becoming greatly annoyed at this man in front of him; he understood his anger, and rage, but it was now just becoming irrational.

"Because he's GONE!"

At those three words, all bodies present froze. Mello stopped his kicking, fighting, and struggling in Matt's grasp, to pant harshly, his leather-clad body shaking. Raito had gone into a state of shock, sepia eyes wide with trepidation and fear. The calmer red-head had blinked, waiting for someone to speak, knowing it was not his place to ask the question all were thinking.

"…What do you mean 'gone'?" The prince whispered, fearing the worst.

…_No…Am I too late…?_

"…He got sold; into slavery, by Misa. The day after the masque ball. She was jealous, said he deserved punishment. It was an official court order, so there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it."

"…" Raito felt something inside him freeze, and more guilt bellowed up inside his stomach and soul, "W-Wait! T-Tell me whom he got sold to, and I'll go get him! They'll have to let him go if I order it….you know who it is, right?"

"I do indeed." Mello replied coldly, ice blue eyes staring straight into chocolate colored ones.

"…And!?"

"And I am not going to tell you."

"…W-What?! Why?!" The prince knew he sounded desperate, and he did, but the man did not care one bit.

"You hurt L…what makes you think I'd let you within three feet of him, and especially tell him where he is now so you can go all 'heroic' and rescue him."

"…" The brunette sighed, rubbing his temple and bruised cheek, "I know…I did him wrong. I was horrible to him."

"That's putting it lightly-"

"And I know I don't even deserve to** look** at him, but…I just can't let him go." Raito continued his phrase, interrupting Mello, and once finished, gave the Misora man a somber look.

"…I don't trust you. And you didn't see his face that night after you put him through Hell. And you were quick to let him go that night."

"I…I know you don't…and I didn't; I can only imagine what he looked like, and it's still probably not an accurate picture. And…I…" Raito bit his lip, "I almost did let him go…no, I** did** let him go that night; my stupid prejudices against servants…that almost did me in. I had begun to look deeper, and then when I find out that he was one of them, I closed my eyes again so easily…But I love him because he's him…not what position he holds."

"Your sob, sappy words don't change my opinion, Your Highness." Mello just shook his head, shooting daggers at Raito.

"I know…if the exact opposite had happened, if something like this involved my sister, I'd be extremely angry and hurt. I wouldn't want to aid the traitorous lover. But think about that I am going to save L from whoever has him. He can come back to you, and…I don't know, you can even take him somewhere if Misa won't allow him back, or something. And if he doesn't want me, of course."

"He won't want you." Mello spat, and the prince visibly felt himself stiffen at the comment, "What makes you think he will-"

"I just have to try Mihael. I LOVE your brother, and I KNOW what I did was gruesome. Terrible, and I don't deserve a second chance, but I want one. I need him, and I mean I really need him there. Just to wake up to, just to smile at, and…just to say…'I love you' to."

"…Tch. You've been reading sappy romance novels, Raito?" Mello smirked, shaking his head again, "You know L hates sappy romance wooers, right?"

"Yeah, I know…but maybe he'd like it with me?"

"…Dammit, against my better judgment, I think…you should go after him. I'm just…hesitant to think that because of what you did; I don't trust you, so how can I know you won't hurt him again?"

"…You can't. I might, or he might hurt me, who knows? But hey…hurt happens. It just does."

"…" Mihael rubbed the back of his neck with a groan, his conscience and moral fibers canceling out his revenge ideals. He really did not like the man in front of him, and he trusted him about as much as a thief would trust a cop not to lock them up in prison. But maybe…that look in Raito's eyes…

_Dammit, that's the same look Mom had with Dad…That Dad had with Mom…and yeah, same look Matt and I sometimes share…but it really looks like Dad…_

…_Dad would…dammit, RAYE…You just HAD to give me your moral values, didn't ya…? Go with love, believe it in, yada yada…You always told us that stuff before you went off and got yourself killed…_

"It's…Against my better judgment…but I do want L safe…and happy…" Mello mumbled to himself, and when Raito continued to peer at him desperately, the blonde boy gave a sigh, saying, "Teru Mikami."

"…Teru Mikami? That's…who he got sold to?"

"Yep." Mello said, "You know? The crazy former lawyer who retired mysteriously to go live out in the forest, about twenty miles north of here?"

"Teru…Teru…!!" The brunette gasped, as the familiar name finally clicked.

"Raito, is that-" Matt was cut off:

"Yeah…that guy who got crazily obsessed with me. He sent me tons of letters, which later turned into declarations of loyalty, and even love. Flowers, candy, lots of gifts too; when I finally told him to back off, I heard he was still obsessed with me, but he just disappeared. And now…Oh God…" The prince ran a hand through his hair, "If he has L…"

"And if he knows about you and L…" Mello continued for the man.

"That CAN'T be good for L. In many ways."

"…Okay, GO. NOW. Screw me still hating you; you have to get him out of there now. Knowing that loon, he'll either hang all over L for once being "yours" or he might…" Mihael paled, not even finishing his statement.

"…Yeah. Matt, get…wait, Mello, we're taking your horses."

"Wha? Why?"

"The northern forest, Ninadal, right? It's a swamp land for most of the area, except a little part which is habitable. Cars won't be able to traverse the land, I'll need horses."

"Uh…we have two good ones…" Mello nodded towards a newly bought stable, "Misa purchased them awhile ago, but they're in good shape. And the stable is new, so they're in a good habitat. Thankfully, that blonde heathen went out shopping with the money she got from L."

"Great…say, how much did she get for him? Or is it-"

"I'll let him tell you that if he feels the need, Your Highness."

Ten minutes later, two horses, one a bright golden mare, the other a black and white stallion, were saddled up, with Matt and Raito on each horse respectfully.

The prince, on top of the stallion, nodded towards his guards, "Go back to my father, tell him where I am, but not to worry unless I do not report or call home by tonight. If I don't, then he can send guards to the location, understood?"

The iron-clad men nodded, and hopped back into their cars, speeding off; Raito patted his horse, but before he could take off, Mello stopped him,

"Some prince…going off to save the fair maiden without a damn weapon…" The blonde had gone inside to retrieve an object, and tossed it to the prince. It turned out to be a sharp sword, with a shining golden hilt.

"And I'll be using THIS if you ever hurt my brother again, you know?" Mihael waved his gun teasingly, with a cocky smile on his face, "Now GO before I DO use this, and don't tell L I called him a 'fair maiden' either!"

With a short laugh, Raito kicked his heel into the horse, and with a 'ya', sped off north, Mail Jeevas following him as backup, just in case, and support as a friend.

Time was precious now, and it was running out quickly…

Raito had to hurry…Hearts and lives were on the line…

OoOOOOOOOOOOOOoOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooO

_**A Few Hours Later…Three-Fifteen P.M.**_

OoOoooooooooooooooOOOOOOoOoOooOOOooOo

The cold shanty that had become L's home was dank, dreary, yet it was royally lavished in fanciful décor; vases, rugs, and silken and cotton furniture decorated the four room home and the basement, which was, again, the raven's bedroom. He had become used to the chains that had come to rest on his ankles, rather loudly, and even though they were a great pain to walk in, the insomniac was quite dexterous, and could accomplish anything. His clothes were still that of a white three-quarter sleeved shirt, and faded blue jeans, but the apparel was much dirtier, and greatly torn, but once again, the raven learned to live with it.

For what choice did he have? None.

His meals were even sparser than before, now just menial crumbs, if that; water, thank God, was given more heartily, but only because Mikami knew his slave had to have liquid in him to do his chores, and work the tiny farmland that the ex-lawyer had somehow managed to cultivate in this desolate swampland; the two square miles Mikami's home, and some plain land was situated in was the only good land in the whole region from L's understanding.

The work was strenuous, excruciatingly hard on the former Lawliet's frame. Not only were there the normal chores, (cleaning, cooking, serving, chopping wood, working the farm), but them man also plowed those farm fields, took care of the animals, and all around served Mikami's every single whim. EVERY. SINGLE. WHIM.

Whether it was humiliating, or actually normal, L had to do it, it was part of his contract. The raven had become "entertaining" to the crazed lawyer, whether it was asking him to do a certain dance, wear certain clothing (dresses, mainly, how horrid, it made L feel like less of a man), or even be Mikami's punching bag for the day, all was given into to the man. Thankfully, the man had not made any…lusty moves unto the raven….

Until today…

"L, you seem quiet this fine afternoon. Something on your mind?" Mikami piped up from his lounge chair, placing his war novel aside.

"Nothing Master, I am perfectly content."

Psh…there WAS something on L's mind…

And it was a brunette that was quite popular around that kingdom…a **royal** brunette…

"Now, come L…you can be truthful to me. Is there something that you wish for?" Teru stood up, standing closer to his slave that was cleaning the glass bookshelf he owned, that he had purchased after years of being a prosecutor.

"…Nothing that Master can give me, I am afraid."

_I miss him…I hate him…_

_But I love him…Can I really say that…? I love him more than I hate him…I hate what has happened…but…I'll never stop loving him…_

I just can't…

_But what does it matter, he won't save me…_

_Raito does not even know that I am gone…_

"Now…are you sure?"

L nodded somberly, keeping his eyes on his current chore.

"Well…I know something **you** can give **me**…" The dark haired slave owner stepped closer to L, extremely softly.

"And what is it that Master requires-!!" L stopped himself as he felt a hand go onto his waist, gently settling there.

"…M-Master should restrain himself…" The raven stiffened, midnight orbs locking onto the ground.

"Mmm…I know you were once my Raito's…" Teru whispered, his other hand going to the other side of L's hips, gently caressing, "And since HE touched you…perhaps…if I touched you…I'd get some sort of thrill…sensation…knowing that you once belonged to the man I so long to desire…" The ex-lawyer pushed up his black glasses as he bent close to L's ear, "So…you'll be giving me what I want."

"N-No…M-Master should be thinking twice about this…" The raven gasped as a hand actually went down towards his groin, and he shook with mortal fear.

"Now, come come, don't be like that you piece of dirt…L, I OWN you…and I can do whatever the hell I want to with you. And if I want to take you into the bedroom, and screw you just because Raito once did, and because I have nowhere else to get my sexual pleasures from, I'll do just that, and you'll shut up and-…"

"….A-And…?" L was scared for his life if he kept contradicting and questioning, but he had to know why the man holding him had stopped…

Until he gave a short glance over his shoulder, and gasped.

A metal sword was across Mikami's neck, the spectacled man freezing in place like a marble statuette. L turned even further around, and nearly smiled, but kept his cool…

There was Raito, standing right behind Mikami, holding the golden hilt of the weapon tightly, a stern glare on his face, which to L's eyes, looked worn and less of its normally healthy tan color; but the gaze was firm none the less. The front door was wide open, L figuring the royal had broken in somehow, but he had little time to think, for Raito spoke up,

"Teru Mikami…get your hands off of him. I've come back for what's rightfully mine."

OoOOooooOOoOOoOoOoOOoOOoOOooOooOOOooOOoOOOoOOOOOooOoOo

A/n: WOOOOOOOHOOO : D Hey, Raito's actually doing good?! NO WAI XD Hah

But will it last?! : o Will L go back with him? With Mikami relinquish him? Will Raito be able to apologize? Will Matt FINALLY screw Mello?! All questions that will be answered NEXT TIME!! (Except for that last one xD Sorry, that'll come later).

Anyway, sorry it's shorter, but I thought this was an awesome place to stop. Next one will be a little longer, I'm pretty sure….hopefully (((sweat drop)))…Actually, I'm sure it will be, we'll just have to see!! ^^

Hope you enjoyed that, and I'll talk to you all soon, thanks for reading!!

PS: This hasn't been edited by my BETA, jesusofsuburbia2o2o, yet, so if you get another alert on this one, it'll be the updated version!!


	10. Kiss Your Lover, Lest You Want Him Dead

A/N: Hello there! : D Another lovely update for you all, and warning: There's a good amount of tears in this one too, so be prepared! ;D Anyway, thanks for all of the lovely reviews, favs, and alerts, and even some lovely chitchat! ^^ Now, on with the show! And thanks go out to **jesus-of-suburbia2o2o** for being an amazing BETA!! : D

_OoOOooooOOoOOoOoOoOOoOOoOOooOooOOOooOOoOOO_

_…Even if you lose, or are defeated by things, your triumph will always  
be exemplary. And if no one knows it, then there are places that do. People  
like you enrich the dreams of the worlds, and it is dreams that create  
history. People like you are unknowing transformers of things,  
protected by your own fairy-tale, by love…_

_- Ben Okri_

_OoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_

The trio froze like the White Witch's ice sculptures, Mikami's eyes glued to Raito's sword, L's own just staring in shock at the ground. The prince continued to stand valiantly where he was, a snarl on his lips as he stated,

"I won't ask you again. Release him, and hand him over to me."

"..." Mikami was silent for some time, he too casting his eyes downward, and then, let out a chuckle, "Hehehehehe…"

"I do not see what's so funny, sir. Hand over that man immediately, or I will be forced to take action."

"Oh, but RAITO-SAN!" Teru shouted, actually quite joyously, turning his head to face Raito, "I bought him fairly, and he is now mine. And I've be SO lonely, ever since you rejected my advances-"

"You know damn well why I didn't accept your advances, you psychopathic stalker, now hand over L!"

"…" Mikami turned his body completely around, facing the prince, the sword not making one swipe, but as the dark-haired one turned, the prince kept the weapon close to Teru's throat, even though the spectacles-adorning man was still holding L. "…No." Was the firm reply, and the ex-lawyer's gaze became cold and hard. "I won't hand over your precious little L."

"And why is that?"

"Because…I've been lonely too long enough. I was spurned by my colleagues and peers, ever since I was a kid. They thought I was crazy, insane, that I was too obsessed with justice, and making things right. It was sheer torture, Your Highness, and then you came into the picture…"

"Me? What do I have to do with this?" Raito interrogated, and Mikami just let out another chuckle.

"You were an amazing person when I first heard of you, which was late last year, if I am not mistaken. When you address the royal council, during a banquet, yes? You were not only gorgeous, but you spoke of making things better, making a perfect world and unity between kingdoms…you do remember this, correct?"

"…Yes…" The brunette responded nervously to the other.

"Well, that was it, and I knew you had to be mine, of course. You also seemed quite lonely, like myself, so I figured we would make an excellent pair…until you turned your back on me. Spurning me, insulting me, and shunning me, never even taking the time to notice or hear what I had to say."

"Why WOULD I when the letters you sent me scared the hell out of me, with words like "love you forever", "my idol, my God, I'll serve you" and "making a better world"?! You FRIGHTENED me, Teru Mikami."

"Oh, I did? Or was it…I wasn't good enough for you? And that you had a…fancy for slime such as this man?" Mikami sneered at L, who bit his lip, his lithe body still standing statue-esque.

"…"

"Oh, I DID find out about your little romp with L here…Not only from his "master" and "sister" Misa Amane Misora, but also the news of...recent events and activities. Word spread fast, and Raito, do you punch all of your lovers? My, my, I never took you to be a sadist…But then again, you were sadistic when it came to crushing my heart."

"…" Raito was silent for more time, but an angry glare blossomed on his face, aimed directly at Teru; finally the royal spoke, "Let. Him. Go."

"…You want to discuss this reasonably. But I don't feel like it. You'll never have me, so I'm never letting you have the man you love…or…the man you want to serve you."

"What?!" Raito spat and shouted, mouth somewhat agape, shock evident on his face.

"You heard me, Your Highness." At this second, Teru pushed L away violent, as if the slave was suddenly crowding his air space, "You don't want L back for what you had him for before…now you want him to serve you."

"And WHERE did you get an idea like THAT?"

"Oh, Raito-san, I can just see it in your eyes and tell…you're a very prideful man, it's visible in your eyes. You would have to lower yourself to love this man again, you know that right? Especially after that spectacle at the masque; and from my point of view, changing would be too much hassle and such a demeaning act for you, and--"

"Look, you don't know anything about me, you freak, so just hand over L."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, such a commanding tone, Raito-san…really, do you expect me to hand over little L just like that? Be fearful of your title? Intimidation tactics shall not work on me, Raito-san."

"…Why are you being so difficult? Just hand him over, he's nothing but a slave, right?" Raito knew he would have to go the more hurtful route, and L was in ear-shot as well, which was bad, but it could just work out perfectly, "He means nothing to the world, right? So why can't you just hand him over, did you pay a lot for him?"

"I paid five-hundred thousand dollars, Raito-san…the inheritance I had gotten from my late mother's death. She had said to spend it wisely, and I feel that I certainly did do so." A Cheshire-cat-like grin grew on Mikami's face.

"…" The brunette's eyes widened, but he kept him composure, blinking rapidly, "I see…yes, then he wouldn't be worth handing over, but I am sure that I and my family could reimburse you?"

Teru shook his head, "It is not money that I want, it is him…him and his services, and his body. You just said it yourself, Raito, L means nothing to the world, he is just a slave now, so really, shouldn't the question I should be asking you is, why do **you** want him back so badly? Unless you wish for him to serve you like the dog he is? L is nothing more than the dregs of society now, yet in many ways, he has always been that. So why do you want him back so badly? It could not be to love him, for he is an unlovable piece of--"

…SLAM.

Raito was so stunned at what had occurred next that his sword fell from his muscular hands, clattering to the wooden ground with a harsh sound.

Mikami's dark eyes had widen to an extreme as L's foot had amazingly collided with his head, mostly hitting the back of his cranium, the cracking sound of foot meeting head rang out; the blow was not deadly, but it was sure to leave a concussion for a great amount of time.

The ex-attorney's body went limp, falling to the floor with a loud thud, the prince jumping at the sound.

"Even I have my limits…" The raven muttered as he glanced at the fallen man with cold malice, but his expression still fairly blank; L let out a languid sigh, and turned his attention to a nearby broom, a bony hand grabbing it, he himself began to sweep the floor, his back turned to Raito, acting as if the man was not even there.

"…H-How-?" Raito was able to stutter out, and L replied icily,

"The fool left the key to the handcuffs around my ankles in mainly plain view, Your Highness." A pointer finger extended to a nearby hook over a small, wooden chair, now bare, but a set of three golden keys lying on the floor underneath it.

"Oh…"

"Why are you here, Your Highness?" The slave spoke up before Raito could get another word in edge wise.

"…To free you. Mello told me-"

"Is that all, Your Highness? Free me from my destined duty?"

"…Destined duty?"

"…" L was silent for a moment, the broom in his hands sashaying back and forth, with soft swishing motions, "Yes, destined duty. Fate has landed me here, in a sense…but also my idiotic actions."

"L-"

"Raito-sama, I am not going with you."

"?! W-What…? Why not?" The prince hid the remorse in his voice quite well…..too well, for if the former Lawliet had heard some of it…his next words might not have been so cold.

"I heard what you said to Mikami, and how you just answered that you were here to just free me, to act like some fairytale-like prince, coming to save his damsel in distress. But Raito-sama, I am no damsel in distress. And I was sold into slavery, it is not like I can just leave you to go wherever I choose. I would have no home, Misa would not allow me back; if I did return there, I would be hanged or executed for leaving my stationed duty as Teru Mikami's slave. And…" He paused, making sure his tone was extremely venomous, and spat "I see no other reason worthy of me leaving…unless Your Highness has actually something to say to me?"

"…"

_Say it Raito, just…why can't you speak…?! Tell him you love him, that you want him back, and that you made a mistake…!! SPILL IT NOW, OR…OR…!!_

The Yagami willed his mind to tell L the real truth, all of the truth as to why he had come here, but he could not; it instantly hit him, the revelation:

He was prideful.

Hours ago, when he had confessed to his sister and best friend how he felt, there was no problem; Matt and Sayu had seen Raito at his best and worst times before, they would think nothing of it. The same applied to his parents, they would not care…And when Raito was by himself, he could act however he wanted…But…

But L…

Showing that weak side to L, L…well, whatever L's real last name was, scared Raito in epic proportions. That man would come to have more control over him, and the brunette was finally gaining control back in his life, somewhat, and having to let it go again felt ominous and deathly to him. And even though Raito needed to do this…

He could not.

"…L…I…"

"Raito has nothing left to say, does he? Nothing worth of being heard by this "slime's" ears, if I am not mistaken. And nothing I want to listen to Raito. So you may take your leave."

"S-So that's it? You're…you're not coming back with me."

"…No. I cannot, Your Highness. Nor do I want to."

"…" It was in that single moment, that split second after L's words had flowed from his pallid mouth elegantly, that Raito Yagami was broken. The young royal felt something inside of him shatter to billions and trillions of tiny pieces; whether it was his heart, soul, mind, spirit, or will, he could not tell. Sepia eyes just stared at the back of the lanky man, his beautiful midnight, feather-like hair, his chalky hands sweeping still, and Raito wished with all his heart that he could go up to the man, kiss him, tell L of his love, and take him home to stay.

…But that wouldn't be happening, thanks to Raito once more.

His pride had been the main obstacle during this whole ordeal, the brunette could see it now.

Pride when it came to associating with servants, pride when it came to admitting when he was wrong, and pride when it came to letting a lover have full control over his heart due to unstoppable and insatiable love.

Along with pride, had been unspoken words, mainly at this point now, but again, that was due to Raito Yagami's pride, was it not?

And misunderstandings…oh, the misunderstandings…

And the lack of trust…there had been such a lack of trust between them; if it had been stronger, would L have not spoken of his true identity sooner?

And tempers and tears…

And just total heartbreak itself…

Raito was numb by now, as he stood there facing L for a few moments, silent tears emerged from his chocolate eyes, and he bent down like a zombie to pick up his fallen weapon…

And then he ran.

Busted through the open door, sprinting off past overgrown bushes, past dirty, watery grass, and even past Mail Jeevas, who had been guarding outside.

"Huh!? Raito!?" The gamer shouted at his companion, but the royal kept running, speeding past all in his way.

_Oh no…_

_L said no…I know it…_

Raito did not know one-hundred percent where he was going, but he had heard there was a clearing nearby in this part of the swamp, according to Matt, anyway. Trees blurred, not just from the speed of his running, but from Raito's waterfalls of tears cascading down his face; his sight was so hazy that he nearly tripped on rocks and twigs in his way, but the man kept running…

For it felt like the only thing to do…

Keep running; try to reach some place of solace…

But that was impossible; for L was his solace, in all truth. The man had made the prince feel at peace when they had been together…

Except now…Raito felt as if he was caught in a never-ending hurricane, some storm that was too chaotic, and it was destroying him.

…

There it was; after about three minutes of running, the clearing came into view. A small clean field of richly-green grass was growing around a circle of trees, pine and oak. It was so silent, the air felt ill-omened, as if this was a place of sorrow normally. No animals chirping, even though the sun was shining high in the sky, fairly brightly. Few plants were growing as well, but Raito did not care about any of that.

He ran to the middle of the clearing, collapsing finally, panting erratically and harshly. His sepia eyes saw nothing at this point; they just stared into the grass, as if he was committing every single blade and how it looked to memory.

"…" In a way that could only be described as trance-like, one of Raito's hands trailed to his pants' pocket…

And pulled out a small dagger that he had hidden away, that he had taken from his room just before leaving, in case of an emergency…

Or in case it came to this.

The prince unsheathed the sharp knife, and stared at the blade in a dazed manner; Raito was not thinking by this point, his mind and heart had been completely shattered.

But there was still one last sound to come from his mouth…

Raito pressed the blade flat against his chest, the tip of the knife pointing upward, and…

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The young royal let out a heart wrenching, ear-piercing scream of heartache…

OoOooooOOOoOOooOOoooOOOooOOoOOooOOOooOooOoOOoOOoo

L heard the scream so well, it was as if it had taken place in the exact same room he was standing it; instantly, the genius knew whom it was making the sound, and he dropped the broom, and bolted from the small shanty.

"Raito!?" L called out, and he turned to see a worried Mail Jeevas still a few feet away; he too, held an expression of trepidation, fear at hearing that scream, and just as he was about to run, the raven put up a hand, ordering him to stay with a shake of his head as well.

This was one time L "Misora" was glad that he had been blessed with quick feet, for he began to sprint in the direction of the noise, and to where most likely Raito Yagami would head after their little conversation: the nearby clearing.

_Dammit…I should have just been straight-forward with him…why did I insist on testing him…!? Was it my anger…that clouded my judgment…?_

It was true, all L had spoken was to test Raito Yagami, to see if he would really step up, be a man, screw his pride, and say how he felt, and actually act. Whether it be in strong words, or tugging the raven off, or something even just along those lines, L had wanted to see Raito do it; prove that he had come all this way to actually love the sweets-devourer once more. Of course, L had figured Raito **had**, but he had truly wanted to hear it from the prince's own sweet lips. And L had wanted that man to tear away his damn pride, for once in his life; he had known all along how the royal really was: prideful, arrogant, a perfectionist, he had seen it all along, and perhaps those "rose-color glasses" of his "fairy-tale-ish love" had blinded him temporarily, but he had seen it all at the masque.

…That did not mean he did not love Raito…He still did…

But now L knew he should have just spoken nicer to the prince back there…but could he have even done THAT? Did he not have a right to be angry at how he was treated? Did he not have the right to be somewhat furious at the man whom had gotten him put into slavery?

…But now none of that was important, and it never had been; L could see that too.

Anger, wrath, lies, deceit, fights, tears…none of that was important, really…

Only their love was; no matter how corny and cheesy that sounded, it was the truth.

"Raito!?" The raven finally reached the clearing, and murky eyes flashed all around to find the man called out too; they finally locked onto a shaking Raito, sitting in the middle of the clearing, clutching a dagger to his chest. L's worst fears erupted, and he screamed, "RAITO STOP!"

In seconds, the raven tackled the other to the ground, grabbing tan wrists harshly, struggling to get the knife out of the royal's hands, the prince beginning to shout, "NO! He-He doesn't WANT me anymore, NEED me anymore! LET GO, and LET ME DO IT!"

"Raito, STOP! I'm right here!" L screeched, trying to get his lover to understand and come out of his hysterics.

"No, no, no, no, it's not! HE-HE…He-"

"RAITO, open your eyes, I'm right HERE!" L screamed in Raito's ear, and gave a short slap on the prince's cheek.

That seemed to do the trick, for the older one stopped struggling, and stared into the midnight eyes shining above him with deep emotions.

"…L…?" The royal chocked out, his hand letting go of the knife, allowing the raven to take it, and throw it to the side roughly.

"Yes…I'm here."

"…L…" Tears started up again, and Raito bit his lip to not let out any accursed sobs; that failed quite well, though, for a few chocked sobs did escape trembling lips, "L, why-"

"I was testing you, Raito…and you passed; though I did not think you'd go to the lengths of suicide if I rejected you."

"W-What?"

L sighed, and scooted closer to his lover, who did not discourage the move whatsoever; in fact, he put an arm around L's waist, holding on to him tightly, as if the younger man would disappear if he did not hold on.

"Raito, I wanted to see what you actually came back for…and if you would be strong enough to take me out of there, and say, 'Look, dammit, I love you, you're coming back with me', or something along those lines. I'm sorry, I should have just gone back when you offered it, but I so…"

"…S-So what?"

"…I so wanted you to tear down your walls, Raito, and say, "L, I love you, I'm sorry." I really did, and well…my anger played a part of what I said, as well."

"…I guess…that's reasonable. But…d-did you have to test me?" Raito chocked out a small, teary chuckle, "I mean…I guess you would anyway, just to be sure…and-"

"No, Raito, I knew you had come back for me…for proper reasons."

"T-Then why-?"

"Because I wanted you to say it, admit it…"

"I wanted to, but…"

"You could not, could you?" L spoke softly now, and a pale hand cupped Raito's tear-stained cheek, "Raito…your pride wouldn't let you at that point, would it?"

The prince replied with a mute nod of his head, and a muted, "No. It would not."

"Raito, I can not make you change how you have always been…but I will say, you shall have to if you want us to survive." A tiny smile graced L's features, "Thankfully, mine was destroyed years ago, my pride, I mean."

"…It was?"

"Hmm…Being a slave and a servant does that to you. They beat you down, make you feel worthless, Raito…it is not a wonderful life by any means. Once the torture really picks up, you feel nothing but hollowness, emptiness; you may even wish to die. Few foods, and even fewer compliments….and with such hard work…there is nothing more horrible than the feelings of worthlessness and failure, Raito, and that is what they make you feel."

"…" Raito just stared at the other, a few more tears dripping down silently, both men sitting in silence for some time, just gazing at one another, until…

Raito's walls finally broke…

Finally...

All thanks to L… And the raven's powerful words, and...

His _Love_...

"OH L!" The prince didn't hold back anymore, and he pulled the raven as close as he could, hugging him tightly, burying his handsome face into L's bushy locks, "F-Forgive me…I-I'm so sorry…I…I don't know what I was thinking, and everything just happened, and…and…"

"Shh…Raito, easy now…" L whispered calmly, rubbing the prince's back soothingly, letting the older man cry into his shoulder as he stared on ahead, feeling his own eyes welling up somewhat, and he softly spoke, "This…this is what I must have been after…this type of…l-loving response. H-How crazy is that?"

"N-Not crazy at all," Raito replied, with a tiny laugh, "It makes sense…and I swear, I'll change, I will L. My outlooks, my ideals, my pride, everything…As long as you promise to stay, please…I've been a real wreck."

"I can see that. How long has it been since Raito washed his hair?"

"Um…"

"And…" L smelled Raito's neck lightly, causing the prince to slightly shiver, "Why does Raito smell like ice-cream?!"

"Well…"

"And he has bags under his eyes; while they may bring out MY eyes, they certainly make Raito look like a petrified zombie."

"L…"

"And Raito's voice sounds awful, as if it is dry…and his eyes are red, from crying? PLEASE do not tell me Raito has been reading romance novels as well-MMPH!"

L had been silenced (_FINALLY_) with a passionate kiss from the prince, who had pulled the raven to his lips, falling back onto the grass, L on top of him.

Tongues did not battle at all; Raito teased L's, luring it into his mouth, and gave up complete control of the kiss to his lover, mewling as L's impressive oral skills wracked his body with extreme, epochal pleasure. Tan hands buried themselves in ebony locks, tresses that he had been longing to touch for days, and here he was doing just that. It felt almost dream-like to be kissing L again, and the royal did not ever want it to stop, whether it was a dream or not.

But the need for air did stop them, and when they pulled apart, a fine line of saliva bonded them and their lips, bonded each other.

"…Fuck me."

"…What?" L gave his lover an incredulous look; Raito could NOT have just said that.

"Fuck me. Take me…I want you. I really do, L…"

"Raito…though the aspect of pounding you into the grass is nice; I do not think this is the place to do fornication. Nor the time as well."

"F-Fine, but when you find a nice place, you WILL fuck me…"

"…But I thought Raito was the dominant one in our relationship?"

"Not anymore." The prince shook his head, "You be it, I just want you…and you might be more comfortable being dominant, and it might restore…some of that broken pride."

"Raito is all too kind to me…" The raven could not help that blessed smile that bloomed so prettily on his face.

"…You deserve kindness, you do L." The prince let one of his hands pet the other's hair, and the younger man began to gently murmur and lean into the touch.

"Mmmm…do I? I'm not that nice of a man, you know…deep down."

"Really? I beg to differ…" Raito whispered tenderly, holding L close, letting the man rest his pallid and worn head on his broader shoulders, the duo cuddling close in that open field, "You've always been nice to me…"

"I lied to Raito, and then acted bastardly at Teru Mikami's shanty. Those two things do not qualify as good, Raito."

"…I deserved them, you know. I really did…"

"Maybe…"

The men did not speak anymore for some time, there was no need. It would break the joyous calm that had settled over them, the serenity which both men had been seeking for the past few days had finally come home to stay. A gentle breeze picked up, caressing their lovely, but worn faces, and even a flock of birds flew over head, softly chirping a melody that made Mother Nature seem more alive than ever in the quiet summer month of June.

"Mmm…L?"

"Yes, Raito?"

"…What did he make you do? Mikami, I mean. He…he didn't get to you before I got there, did he?"

"No, thank the Gods he did not. Today was the first time he tried to coerce myself into sexual favors. I have to thank you, Raito…you stepped in at the right moment."

"I did, and I'm glad I did…but what else did he make you do? What type of work?"

"…What does Raito think that he made me do?" L questioned, wide eyes blinking.

"Uh…well, L, I can't really say....I don't know much about the lives of servants and slaves. I know they do hard work, and-"

"It is not JUST hard, Raito. It is demeaning half the time, painful the other half of the time, and sorrowful all of the time."

"…Go on. Tell me, I want to know. I need to know, L…You've told me how they beat you down, go into details, please."

"…" L silently got into his crouch, leaving his lover's arms, only to sit next to him; a somber, morose expression was on L's face, and it made the prince's heart throb, "In…in a way, Raito…a servant or slave's owner tells them what they can and cannot do, not just in a moment, but in a day, night, week, month, year…frankly, for the rest of their life or term with their master. Have you ever been told what to do, Raito?"

"Of course. By my parents, mainly when I was younger-"

"Ah…but…could you not discuss an agreement with your parents? A compromise, per se?"

"..Yeah, I could. We usually worked things out…what are you getting at?"

"Be patient, Raito, you shall see what I mean. Now…imagine not being able to compromise, but having to take that order or command for what it was, being forced with no way out other than to comply. How does that make you feel?"

"….Not…great, I guess."

"Now imagine you still have your free will, and you rebel. Be it through saying no, or simply by being devious while doing said command, such as not cleaning all of the dishes, or doing a terrible job at it. And you're caught….what would your master-I mean, parents, say?"

"They would yell at me, and punish me, maybe ground me? Take away some privileges…"

"…Imagine that they beat you for that defiance." L whispered, eyes filled with anger, yet much hurt, and he had to turn his head, "Imagine that they take away your food rations, from a slice of bread, to a few crumbs. Or they lock you in a closet for five hours straight, which is filled with sharp objects on the three inner walls and the inside of the door."

"…" The brunette's eyes had enlarged to an epic degree, and all he could say was "…L, no…" He did not want to believe his raven, his L, his amazing lover…had been hurt like that.

"…Those events filled my early days, when I was a child. A rebellious and still disbelieving child. Over time, I grew up though, and after Misa had broken my soul down enough, I learned not to argue. But that did not make the work any easier."

"…What…what tasks did she make you do?"

"Raito, I could spend the next day here with you telling you everything, but I shall make it short: Cleaning, cooking, wood-work, all a range of chores, some easier than others. Then there was also field work, farming, gardening, etcetera. But it was the demeaning tasks which really hurt, and the majority of times she made me do things that that witch could have done on her own; carrying items, doing her schoolwork when she was younger, turn on certain items, open doors, other frivolities. What was bad was when she made me do multiple things at once, and s-sometimes…" L trailed off, and his lithe body shivered slightly, "…Sometimes she would beat me or hit me for no reason…"

"…" Raito remained silent, biting his lip in anger. HOW could someone treat L like that!? Where was the right to do so, it wasn't fair!? This was what the prince had been advocating throughout his whole life?! No, no, no! Raito didn't see any reason for someone to beat L…maybe things did need to change. The raven's words were stabbing right into his heart, making him feel sorrow for all that he had held against the lower classes; now that he had met L, truly met him, and was seeing him for everything that had happened…it was changing Raito even more.

"I-It was worse with Mikami…he had me in chains since I was, and still am, classified as a slave in society. H-He whipped me a lot harder than Misa did, and Teru did burn me with hot items as well, even when I did not argue. He would say I did not accomplish something well enough to match his damn standards. But the masters can do that…even if you don't argue or resist, they can still hurt you, in various ways…"

"L…let me see them…please…" Raito chocked out, and L looked up to see sepia eyes swimming with droplets of tears.

"..." L slowly shook his head, stating, whispering hollowly, "Raito will not like them…he shall think they are ugly, and-"

"Shh…no, I won't…I'll think they're horrid, but beautiful…deathly, but gorgeous. Please, Tenshi?"

"…" L complied with a nod of his head, and stood silently; his dirty, white-cotton shirt came off a moment later, his back to the prince, and he heard the royal gasp.

"H-How come I didn't notice these…w-when we…were together in bed…?"

"…Raito, I was on the bottom during our…sexual experience. You could not have seen my back, most likely. And when we awoke naked, you probably did not notice them at all. I was moving fast that next morning, not just because I was in a hurry to get home, lest I face Misa's wrath, but also…I did not want you to see them. They're…ugly."

The brunette stood, and reached out a hand to caress one of L's scars. Seven large ones criss-crossed across his lanky back; three of them were fairly healed up, but still quite visible, the other four large, touchable, and even scarier, for they looked as if they had never truly healed well. Tiny cuts also danced around the pallid skin, all looking fairly old, as if they had happened long ago, but yet, they were still there…haunting L. Marks on his once perfect skin, tainting him for all eternity. They would never disappear, never fade into nothingness; the marks would always be reminders of who he was, what he had gone through.

"…My God, L…" Tan fingers ran over every single marking, and Raito had to bite his lip so he would not cry; as expected, this move failed, and a pair of tears leaked from the prince's eyes, falling down his tan cheeks. "…W-Why…? H-How can…"

"Because of what I became, Raito…what I became to the world. They can treat you however you want all due to a title."

The royal stepped back, mind still reeling from the sights and words of his lover…

"N-No! H-How can this happen!? What about the damn laws! I-It's not fair, L…This is inhumane, unjust, and how can they-"

"Slaves are servants can be treated however their master wishes, Raito…but do not blame yourself for not knowing. That type of information was not reachable; blindness to what is out there is not always one's fault, Raito."

"…But…" The brunette bit his lip, staring at the ground, as the slave began to put his shirt back on; but before another word could be uttered, sepia eyes blinked as a revelation his hit brain like a speeding truck, "W-Wait…wait a second." Tan hands spread out, the classic sign of 'Stop and think', "You said…Mello is your step-brother, right? That's what you said on our first date, and that is also what Matt told me…"

"Yes…"

"…And…Misa…is your…STEP-SISTER?"

"……Yes." L muttered softly, nervously; he knew what realization the prince had come to.

"You're…you're your own step-siblings' servant?!" Wide chocolate eyes stared into ebony, complete and utter shock plastered all over Raito's face.

"Yes, Raito…I am."

"…H-HOW?! That's…that's cruelty! That can't happen, it is just wrong! There had to have been some illegal activity there, or something! That…who would do that!?"

"Raito, it has happened to many persons, other than myself…as for how it happened, I shall tell Raito in time, but first…I would like to visit a place not far from here."

"Uh…sure, I suppose. Whatever you wish L…but can you tell me where we're going? Since…I'm coming with you, right?"

"Of course Raito is coming with me," L stated, with a roll of his eyes, walking closer to the edge of the clearing, "He is the whole reason I am going to this place at this point anyway…now, you brought horses, yes, Raito?"

"Uh…yeah, I did……"

"Good, because we shall be taking a nice ride through this forest…for about three miles."

OooooooooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

After congratulatory cries and handshakes from Mail Jeevas, the loving duo hopped onto Raito's stallion, L in the front, leading the creature, and headed north, at a speedy pace, bright green trees of pine blazing by as the men began to leave the swampy area of the land, headed towards more stable ground.

"So are you going to tell me where we're headed or not?" Raito called, hands holding onto his L's hips as the horse sped up even more, jumping gallantly over rocks and twigs, hooves clip-clopping on the somewhat wet grass.

"I shall tell Raito in time, he must be patient, in all seriousness…Oh…" L trailed off, and began to slow the horse, "And that time shall be quite soon, Raito…"

The once speeding animal was now slowed to a soft walk, snorting at how he had been forced to now walk, not joyously run through the greenery.

Raito's gaze began to catch items out of place that had not been in the forest a few miles back; tiny drawings had been carved into these trees, children's drawings, those of stick figures, smiles and other things associated with the younger generations. Perhaps they had been made there with razor-edged sticks or a sharp rock, Raito was unsure. Around these wooden pieces of artwork were tiny toys, all ragged and old, and some even mildly broken. Dolls, a few balls, and even a rusty, aged tricycle was spotted by the royal. As the men continued on, more flowers sprang up in the wooden area, all the colors of the light spectrum, the rainbow. Violent reds, shining, sunny yellows, and dark, sea-colored blues were just a few to name. The brunette even spotted a rose bush to his left, farther back.

Finally, the horse came to a full stop, and the royal peeked over his lover's shoulder to see what lay ahead of them…

It was a small shack, a small wooden home. Completely made of wood, ropes, and shingles for the roof, it was quite small, looking only to have two floors, perhaps five or six rooms maximum. Two dirty glass windows faced the front of the home, small enough for privacy, but large enough to let light into the place. From what Raito could tell, a lone window was on both sides of the home as well; a short chimney was in the south end of the home, made entirely of bricks, the only exterior object made of them, but the bricks were falling apart, dilapidated, and the chimney itself did not look to be in great shape at all. More toys were on the grass outside the place, these too worn and broken, very aged, but they looked as if they received much love as well. The doorknob to the front door stood out greatly, for it was a fanciful ornamental piece, and it most likely was the only decorative object on the outside of the home. It was silent as well, not an bird singing, nor a squirrel fidgeting, no human sounds either.

"…We're here, Raito…" L hopped off the horse, and so did his lover.

"Where are we? You are going to tell me now, right?"

"Yes, Raito…welcome to the only real home that I have ever known…and that holds the only other family, besides Mello and my step-mother, that I have ever known…"

"Raito, welcome to Wammy's Orphanage."

OoOoOooOooOooOoOoOOOoOoOooOOooOooooooOoOOooO

A/N: : DDD Yay! Good times…..for now anyway 3

And yes, Wammy's in appearing next chapter….which means…

NEAR. WILL. BE. IN. NEXT. CHAPTER. ^-^

So for all those patient Near fans, it will play off, I promise.

Thanks for reading this one, and I'll be updating soon! : D


	11. Love And Storytime For Raito Chan

A/n: Hello there! : D Thought I'd give this one an update for everyone, along with This Eternity. I'm sure many of you had questions, and like a good man, L will answer them all for you here (okay, I'LL answer them for you too XD). So please, enjoy the Wammy-ness, Near-ness, L-ness, and **YAOI-NESS** in this one, and thanks so much for reading this one! We've only got about five, maybe six, more chapters to go, plus an epilogue. Thanks for all of the reviews, favs, and alerts, and enjoy what's to come! ; D

_OoOOOOOOOOOOooOOOooOoooOooOoOOoOOoOoOoOOooOo_

_"Think what you would have been now, if instead of being fed_

_with tales and old wives' fables in childhood, you had been _

_crammed with geography and natural history!"_

_- Charles the Lamb to Samuel Coleridge,_

_October 23, 1802_

_OoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooOOOOooO_

Once L had finished that statement, and began strolling casually to the tiny shack nearby, Light only thought one, single thing:

_What the hell does that mean, you cryptic bastard…?!_

"Now, now, Raito, be patient…You'll find out what I mean soon enough." The raven blandly drawled out as his royal lover hurried to catch up to him, nearly tripping over a tiny log lying on the mossy ground.

"E-Excuse me?"

"…You said that out loud, Raito."

"…Oh." Embarrassment was one word Raito could use to describe the situation at that second, but that word was all too plain…perhaps utter, complete humiliation was better suited?

"Raito-chan's mind is still reeling apparently…do not worry, Watari will make sure you are feeling better, I am completely, one-hundred percent certain of that."

"…Who is-?"

But L had already knocked on the door lightly, which was probably the best act to do, for the entrance, up close, looked just as ragged as the entire house and structure itself.

Soft footsteps echoed from inside the home, along with a kind, gentle, elderly voice; from the way the man was speaking, it was as if the gentleman was a grandfather of some sorts. And when the door opened, the prince thought that even more so. For the person who had opened the door did indeed look like a grandfather, with graying hair, thinning lightly at the top somewhat, light blue eyes shining with a tender light to them; the male had a bushy mustache of snow on his face, and silver-framed glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. He was neither royally, nor like a beggar, wearing a worn black jacket and set of pants and white shirt, all of the articles looking dirty and aged.

"Yes, may I…L?" The gentleman stared at the raven, floored completely at the sight of the other, very much younger, man standing before him. L nodded, stating softly, "Yes, hello Watari."

"…My God, I heard about the fiasco at the ball, and I assumed you were dead-…" It was then Watari noticed the brunette standing next to the raven, and gasped, shouting, stuttering out, "L!? What…what is this!? D-Do you know what this could mean if he is here!?"

"Do not worry, Watari…I'm sure Raito shall not punish you."

"…Your Highness! I...I…" Watari instantly dropped to his knees, bowing to the royal, "I beg of you, do not take these children away, forgive me, I am just-"

"…Sir, I do not even have an idea of whom you are, where I am, and what all of this means…" Raito confessed sheepishly, with a grin on his face, "Perhaps an explanation is in order?"

"…Yes…L has told you nothing? About us? About...other things pertaining to him?"

"L has informed me of all the details of his…servitude. As for other important factors…I'm not so sure…" The brunette cast a glance at his enigmatic lover, who nodded, replying with,

"Watari, I shall inform him of everything else later…Including what has occurred in the past, please, do not worry. It is about time Raito heard all of the stories relating to me, yes?"

"…I suppose so, L…He…he does not even know your-"

"NO. He does not." L cut off the older man, making Raito wonder what the two had between them, and the actual subject matter which they were speaking of.

"Yes…Please, Your Highness, come in, and I apologize for the mess." Watari disappeared back into the home, L following with fleet footsteps, nodding towards his lover to come that way as well.

Raito did not know what to expect when he entered the Orphanage (that was what L had referred to it as), but what he saw was very astounding. The floors were wooden, but laden with dirty rags (some of which turned out to be clothing), broken and old toys, dirt and leaves from outside, still-crested-with-food dishware, and a many a pair of worn shoes. There were miniature lanterns cast about the entrance way, three of them collected on a broken table right in front of the prince. To his left, Raito caught sight of a staircase leading up to the other floors, surrounded by old, trash-like furniture, such a broken white love seat and a torn plaid couch. But it was the occupants of the stairs that caught the brunette's attention the most; three tiny little girls were standing on the highest steps, and though they had smiled at the raven when he had passed by, they now stared in fear at the royal walking through their doorway. There was also a tiny boy hiding under a coffee table that so happened to be missing its glass surface, and when Raito tried to give him a kind grin, the boy visibly stiffened, but waved a tiny hand back to the older man.

"Come along Raito, we shall have time to look later…" L called out, and Raito continued into the house, walking down a short hallway, and when the brunette peaked his head into a pair of two bedrooms, he saw a duo of beds in each room, and sitting on them were shocked children, and from what Ratio could gather, very, very frightened, with wide, child-like wonder shining in their orbs, but also fear when in the presence of the prince. The beds the younglings sat upon were not really beds, sadly, just plain dirty mattresses, with a few boxes underneath them to give them height and support. Their "covers" were nothing but sheets full of holes, and from the prince's point of view, looked to be made of flimsy, not very warm material. Two girls were in one room, one with fire-red hair in the form of curls, the other with sunshine-blond hair, both having green eyes, each holding a broken doll in their arms very tightly, as if they feared Raito would be a thieving man trying to steal their "treasure". But the prince did far from that, and nodded, speaking softly with "Hello there." The girls just nodded, but the red-head, who probably was not more than six years old, whispered with a lisp, "Hello there sir…" The royal glanced to his right, to the other room, and saw two little boys, with jet-black hair like his L's, hiding under their mattresses' sheets, blinking rapidly at the sight of the older male, all too similar to Raito's lover. He nodded to the children, and continued on down the hall, but as he was to turn the corner, he noticed a tiny, very thin little lass crouching in the space between the entrance to what seemed to be the kitchen and the hall.

"Hello there…What's your name?" Raito had always hated children, in all truth, but being here…seeing these little humans…it stirred some emotions in the prince that he had never felt before, mainly compassion for the younger set of mortals in the world; it also looked as if these younglings were dirt poor, and the man felt compassion towards their circumstance. Plus, some were just so adorable; one could not help but smile.

"H-Hi…My name's Melina…"

"That's a pretty name….I'll see you later, okay?" Raito waved to the girl, and headed into the next room, right after hearing the child giggle softly, and running off into the big room Raito had just passed.

The kitchen was what laid ahead next, and the poor room looked as if it had been through some form of hurricane; a fridge on the verge of total destruction was up against the wall, running noisily, and the pale green color of it, along with the minute size, made Raito wonder if the residents here had enough nutrients to sustain life. The counters were the same hue of the fridge, covered with mounds of dirty dishes and rags, and water droplets. Farther down the hall, the prince spotted a dining area, holding two large wooden tables that seemed as if they held many a dangerous splinter. There were no chairs, but only two long benches, one on each side of the square table, that were in the same shape as the table, and looked to be quite aged.

"Raito, we are in this room." It was L, and Raito turned to his right, and entered that nearest room. His raven was there, crouched as usual upon a ragged couch, the older gentleman seated opposite in a blue lounge chair, pouring sweet-smelling green tea into three broken and chipped china cups.

"I suppose we should start in the beginning, Your Highness," Watari stated nervously, his tone giving away the tension in his mind quite obviously, "I am the caretaker of this orphanage; you may call me Watari, even though my full name is Quillish Wammy." The elder handed the royal a cup of tea, who had taken a seat beside his lover, then a cup of the beverage to L.

"With all due respect Sir…your orphanage is…well…"

"I know. It…It's not in great shape whatsoever."

"Orphanages are supposed to get funding from the government, Watari. Have you been forgotten?" Raito asked as he took a sip of the warm drink.

Watari shook his head, "Raito-sama…I am not running a legal orphanage."

Sepia eyes had widened, and the prince nearly spit out the tea, "E-Excuse me?"

"Your Highness, when I first began this place, I barely had any money at all. But I was in a place where there were so many abandoned children; I could not help but start an orphanage. So I scrounged my savings, and assisted the help of two others, and we started an orphanage in a nearby city not far from this spot. Unfortunately, all orphanages are required by law to pay taxes to the government, or they would be shut down. You should remember that law, your grandfather was the one who instated it. The only good upside to that is the orphanages receive money from the federal institutions. But…" The old man trailed off, shaking his head, "I could not pay the taxes whatsoever, and I feared the federal agents would find out, hunt me down, and shut down the place. Or even send myself and Halle and Aiber off to jail; they are the two who helped me get off the ground. So…"

"So he fled into this forest, Raito-chan." L finished for Watari, when the old man could no longer continue, "They left everything behind, and had to start over."

"Correct, L. Most of the items we had were in better shape, but we could not carry beds or furniture or even many toys with us during our escape that night sixteen years ago. When we finally found a spot to set up, we built this home ourselves, we spent weeks and months on it, putting our blood, sweat, and tears into it. We had to garbage hunt to find furniture, or even, dare I say it, steal to find what we needed for these children. I'm not proud of some of the acts I have committed, but dammit, I had to do them for these children. They had no where else to go, and I was the only one they could turn to. The three of us had planned to go back to the old house and try to get back some of our goods, but the government had already come and hunted us down, burning the place to the ground."

"...They burnt it to the ground?" The prince asked, flabbergasted at the tale being told to him.

"Yes. Raito, you know of how the government can be, yes? Your father and you may not have initiated some of these laws, but they are still in effect, and nothing is being done; especially when it comes to the issues of taxes and collecting them. I know we were not the first orphanage to be burned down like that for not paying taxes, and I am one-hundred percent certain that the government is still looking for us, for we owe them a great amount of money. This is why we hide out here, in the woods. We all fear that we shall still be found out, which was why I was scared when L brought you here. If the government finds out…" The old man stopped, holding his head with his hands, "The children will all go back to the streets, Raito-sama, and I could not live with myself if they did. Ever since that day, I've been traveling secretly through towns all around the kingdom, along with Halle and Aiber, finding orphans who need salvation and I have been bringing them here. When they turn eighteen, most of them leave to start on better lives, but most of the children always come back for visits. And I have been lucky; I have stumbled upon some help during my years here…Including L and Naomi Misora."

"Hmm?" Raito turned to the raven beside him, who was smiling an impish grin.

"Indeed, we did help you…Naomi more though; I haven't been able to do as much, Watari."

"Nonsense, L. Every single child that you have met through here has grown to love you like a brother, and you know it."

"How did you two meet, L?" The brunette asked his lover, whose smile grew even bigger, and the raven let out a soft chuckle.

"We met really on accident, Raito-chan. It began when I was three, just after Watari had relocated to this region. I had been quite curious as a young toddler, and it had been one early winter morn; I had seed Naomi wake up bright and early, get ready, and head to her car, a bright new Volvo if you can picture it, and, like a shadow, I secretly followed her, dressing in my attire, and when she wasn't looking, I opened the back door, snuck into the back of the car, and hid underneath a seat. I hypothesized I would be getting into a great deal of trouble, but I was three, and even though I was quite bright, I had not as much common sense back then. Anyway, we drove on for hours, speeding through the forest's easier-to-maneuver paths; all the time, I memorized the way mentally, in my head, for if there was one thing I was good at back then, it was memorizing by sight." L took a sip of his tea with a smile, knowing he was keeping the prince on edge with impatience with his story, "Well, Naomi's car finally stopped at this exact spot, herself getting out of the vehicle with a breadbasket in hand, knocking on the door. I, of course, secretly followed, crazy of me in my opinion, but then again, when I think about it, if I had not followed, everything today would be so different….." The raven trailed off wistfully, shaking his head, lost in his thoughts for some moments.

"Go on L…" A tan hand gently shook L's shoulders, taking him out of his reverie, his dream-like state, and the younger man continued,

"Anyhow, the door opened just as I exited the car, and right as Naomi entered the house, I sprinted to the door…" L stopped to let out a chuckle, "Sadly, Watari did not see me, and he closed the door…on my hair."

"…Your hair?"

"Yes, you can imagine the screaming fit I went into, my poor nest of hair jammed in the door. Naomi immediately dropped the basket of food, and with Watari's help, got me out of the door. After her scolding me about sneaking around and spying on people, she told me Watari's entire tale, and explained she was here to help after stumbling on the place herself. The old man was quite kind to me, and I enjoyed playing with the other children, many whom had a high intelligence level all too similar to my own, so it was a nice change."

"Yes, and for years L snuck out here, did you not?" Watari laughed out loud heartily, "I know your stepmother was not always with you when you were here, L."

"…Indeed, I snuck out a lot here, since I always thought of this place as another home….and when Naomi died…"

The elder let out a somber sigh, shaking his head, "Yes, I miss her so much too...she was an angel L, always caring about others, taking you in…and then, when Misa-"

"Please, Watari, say no more about that. I have told Raito some things, but not all, and I would prefer to speak to him in private about the matters."

"…Very well. Anyway…when L became subject to…that horrendous situation, and he came to tell me……I offered him to take up residence here…but…"

"…But what Sir?" Raito questioned, keeping an eye on his lover, who spoke up a few moments later, when Watari did not.

"…I said no, Raito."

"…What?"

"Yes, that is correct; L refused to come to live here. He said that he would…would rather live with Misa's cruelty than burden me with another child to watch and take care of. I had…what, twenty-two children at that time? Yes, I believe that was the number. But L, being so grown-up and mature, said he could handle it, and that he would rather stay there, knowing I was so poor, and he didn't want to come here, fearing it would be not be the best thing. I remember when L said that so selflessly, I started crying, and hugged him, telling him that he could always seek salvation and safety here, and to stop by; which he did, often to escape Misa."

"L…is this true?" Sepia eyes turned fully onto ebony ones.

"Yes…It is. I had seen Watari work so hard with so little, and I could not just stand the thought of burdening him with myself. He would have another mouth to feed, another body to shelter and he already had so much going on. The man is like a father to me, Raito, and as you can see now, you understand what I meant by these people here being my only real family, besides Mello and Naomi. I may be selfish, I may be a bastard, but I am far from heartless, and I just could not stand the thought of putting Watari through more work, when he already had so much. And yes, I did come to visit often, when I could sneak away at nights, or when Misa went out during the day. This place was one of the few sanctuaries I could actually run to without fear of capture or punishment. And the children here were such great company, I taught them, comforted them, gave them company…trying to give them a better life than I had, and they certainly do."

"Yes, we always had a warm place for L, and sometimes dear L would sneak us some food, or even an old blanket from his house; that was a great thing about Misa's stupidity, she never noticed, did she?"

"Only once, Watari, but I was able to swiftly lie, and blame it on a thief…I did not think she would buy the lie, but she did. Usually, experts of lying do not believe lies, but she did."

"Yes…" Watari glanced at Raito, "I also heard what happened at the masque." A cold glare from the elder made the royal quite nervous; this man was like L's father, and if he disapproved…

"…S-Sir, all I can say is…I made the biggest mistake of my-OW!"

Raito had not seen the little boy run into the room, fuming, but he had felt the sharp kick the tot had delivered to his kneecap, and chocolate eyes winced in pain as the prince groaned.

"You big meanie! You hurt Lelly! You, you, you-!" Tiny tear droplets shone in green eyes as the boy found himself a loss for words.

"Tommy, that's enough." L ordered firmly, and the raven gracefully picked up the child, setting him on his lap, "You know it is rude to kick people in the shins, do you not?"

"But L! He's a mean, bad man…" Tommy pouted all too similar to L…perhaps the raven had left a more lasting impression on the kids than Raito first led to believe?

"No, Tommy, he is just a very stupid, melodramatic, prissy, pissy, princess-like, overbearing, badly tempered-"

"Okay, L, I think he gets it…" Raito drawled out, far from a LITTLE BIT embarrassed.

"Ohhh…Okay!" Tommy shouted happily, "And does he love you?"

"…Yes, he does, Tommy…"

"He better or I'll kick him again, Lelly!" The boy giggled, and then hopped off the slave's lap with a laugh, "Oh, and Mister Watari…Near wants to see L, is that okay?"

"Hmm? Of course it is, he can come in."

"Okey-dokey!" The boy ran off, and footsteps pounding up the stairs echoed all through the house.

"…Who is…Near?"

"Near is a special boy that has taken quite a liking to L over the past eight years; L had known him since he was a baby, haven't you L?"

"Yes, I have…Watari found him in the city of Dubarne, on the south end of Kisamari. A little babe wrapped up in brown cloth, if I remember correctly?" L turned to the older guardian, whom nodded at the comment.

"Yes, I did…I was shocked to just find him crying in an alleyway…but perhaps because of his looks-"

"L…?" A soft, bland voice called out, in a nearly-bored tone, and the trio in the sitting room turned to see a small boy standing in the doorway, holding an action figure close to his body. Snow white hair fell around his face, which held skin that was as pale as the hair of the boy, even more pallid than L's. Raito immediately noticed the child's coal-colored eyes, standing out in complete contrast to the white; orbs that were all too parallel to the raven to his side. Pajamas were on the young boy, also white, floppy, and falling around his lithe body haphazardly. The child stood there, gazing in wonder at L, as if the man had been resurrected from the dead.

"Yes, Near, it is I."

"!!" Near rapidly ran to the raven, and L embraced him as the child came close, hugging him tightly, the albino child whispering, "I thought you were gone for good, L…"

"…So did I, at one point. But I'm alright…How have you been? Have you tried getting along with the other children?"

"…" The boy was silent, and L took it to mean 'no', and the older male let out a sigh, stating, "Near…"

"I tried, L…but…"

"I know. And it is okay….And Near, this is Raito-sama." L turned Near in the direction of the prince, and the child's eyes grew fearful; L spoke up again though, before the snow-haired boy could utter a word, "And Raito, this is Nate River, but is more commonly called Near."

"Hello there, Near…"

"…H-Hello, Your Highness…" Near paused, then whispered, "…Y-You're not going to hurt L again, are you?"

"…I shall try not to, but…since I am human, I cannot really promise that, can I?"

Near's demeanor flashed a quick change, going from nervous to calm and blank in seconds, and stated, "Good, that is exactly what I wanted to hear." The boy nodded to the pair on the couch, and stated after a moment, "I am just glad you're well, L…" Near stood there for a moment, but took a close seat to L on the floor, and began to play with the toy that had accompanied him into the room.

"Near is very fond of L," Watari spoke up, "The two of them are like brothers, that is how close they have become. L has always looked out for Near, for the boy reminds him of himself, right L?"

The raven nodded, but before he could speak, Near did so, softly telling,

"No…L is more to me than that. I think of him as a father, brother, and best friend all into one, but this shall be the only time you hear me speak like that, for I am a very unemotional person. L is my family, and so is Quillish; everyone else, truthfully, I could care less about…" He paused, to turn his dark gaze unto Raito, "You better not hurt L again, Your Highness, or I will find a way to make sure L is given some from of retribution. Are we clear?"

"…" Raito stared at the young eight-year old, shocked to hear a boy talk that way to an adult, and like that at all, considering his age; but he assumed it was understandable, seeing how attached Near was to L, "…Of course Near."

"Now, I'll leave you to…whatever you adults were speaking of." The albino child silently left, his feet dragging along the shabbily carpeted floor, and even closed the door behind him, giving the adults maximum privacy.

"…Well…Now, I must come to the question of…where shall you go from here, L?" Watari asked, a concerned expression plastered on his face.

"…I am not sure-"

"He's coming with me." Raito spat out before L could even utter another syllable, "I…I mean…he…the offer is available, and I would like for L to accompany myself back home, Watari…if you would feel that that was okay…"

"…" The old man was silent for some time, finally letting out a sigh, stating slowly, "If L would feel comfortable with that...I see no issue with it, Raito-sama. But…he is still a slave, you do know that, yes? You would have to fix that, or his life would still be Hell."

"…I already have plans in my head, Sir, I'll take care of L's situation, I'm sure my father can help me. And…I'll be talking to him of other matters as well."

"…Such as? If I may ask…"

"…I want to get rid of the servant and slave trades….and the whole classes themselves."

"?!" Ebony eyes widened, along with soft blue ones belonging to Watari, both mouths falling open in shock, "…Raito….you are…serious?" murmured the royal's lover.

"I am. I am supposed to take over the throne soon, L, and…I have seen things that need to be changed, mainly thanks to you. My father probably doesn't even realize how badly everything has fallen, or if he has, he has blinded himself to it; or has busied himself with nonsensical matters, like trying to hook me up with every single princess on the planet, so he does not have to pay attention to it."

"Indeed," Watari spoke again, taking a sip of his tea, "I suspect that your father could be experiencing both, no offense to his Majesty, of course. Many leadership aspects of him have been quite extraordinary, but there is so much that needs to be fixed, Raito-sama. And it shall be your job to do so, if you accept it."

"And I shall." The brunette cast a warm beam to his lover, who could not help but return the grin.

"Now, you two, take a look around if you so wish, I'm sure L would be more than happy to give you a tour."

The raven nodded, and took Raito's hand, leading him out of the sitting area. The young slave had facts about every single room, every object in the room, and each child they encountered; "This is Susan, This is Mallick, This is Kouichi"…L knew all of them, each dirty street or home the younglings had come from, their unique personalities, what their favorite toys were, whom their friends were; if there was a fact about each one, L knew it. It was the same with the dirty rooms, and as the duo walked, the pale man spun magic tales like a weaver of carpets, explaining how "little Angelina would always hide in the cupboards", when "David first met myself and had hugged me on these very steps", why "Carla always hid in the bathtub during a storm, or when cold broccoli was served", and hundreds of other miniature novels. Raito listened with great interest, for he was getting a complete insight into his lover's life, and who and what really mattered to him.

The men stopped before one of the bedrooms on the second floor when a young little girl came running out, holding a giant book, and grabbed L's pant leg.

"Mister L…can you read me a story like you did last time?" Blue eyes shined with eagerness, a bright white smile on the short haired blonde girl, "PLEASE L?"

"…" L grinned, and let out a chuckle, picking up the youngster and placing her on his shoulders, "Alright, Sofia, which one this time?"

"Can you read me the one about the shipwrecked pirate crew? You know; the men that fight in the jungle on the island and find treasure and even love!"

"Hah...of course, I have time." The raven strolled into the child's room, sitting on her bed, Raito following him like a shadow, and taking his rightful place next to his L. Sofia situated herself on the young man's lap, as L opened the large book, turning to a certain page number. Immediately, words flowed from his mouth, creating a streaming story, full of pirates and adventure, treasure and gold, and even forbidden love. Raito curled up close to the other man; resting his head on L's shoulder as words filled his mind, and took him to a far away place…

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Raito only came out of his dream-like state, due to L's storytelling, when the book was shut softly, and the raven gently lifted Sofia off his lap, placing the child on her bed.

"It is nearly five-thirty, Raito….and I have one more stop I wish to make, so please, we are going to be on our way."

The prince nodded, standing up, and before the brunette could utter another word, L had taken his hand, leading him down the creaky, wooden steps. Watari was waiting for them at the doorway, a small smile on the elder's face.

"Take care, L…and please, come back soon."

"I shall, Watari," The other responded, "Wait…where is Near? He always bids me goodbye-"

"He got upset…" Watari shook his head sadly, "He…wanted to go with you again…and it seems Alexander made a comment, and got the poor boy upset. Halle's with him now."

Soft cries could be heard upstairs, for everyone else was silent, and a shadow passed over the raven's face.

"Should…I try to calm him down? Perhaps I-"

"No, L, that would just make it worse….And you know it."

"..." L let out a resigned sigh just as a door closed upstairs, and a young blonde woman, wearing a pinstripe suit descended the stairs; she had ice-blue eyes that shone with a tint of sadness and wear, and once she reached the foot of the stairs, she spoke softly,

"He is asleep, L, don't worry. But please, come back soon and visit him? You know how he gets." The woman adjusted her suit, giving the raven a tiny smile.

"Thank you Halle and I shall. And thank you for giving us some of your time, Watari." The young man bowed to the older gentleman, but the caretaker would have no formalities, for not a moment later did he embrace L tightly, hugging him close, the slave returning the gesture.

"Oh…Watari, can we have some food for the road? Maybe….a doughnut?"

…

How L could eat a doughnut while riding a horse baffled the Prince as he once again sat behind the younger man, holding on tightly; L, though, wasn't holding on as tightly to the horse's reins, with one hand on the reins themselves, the other holding a doughnut, licking the chocolate frosting languidly and even, in Raito's eyes, dirtily.

"Do you have to eat that NOW?" The Prince called up from the rear, "And WHERE are we going now?"

The raven took a bite of the pastry, sighing with a shake of his head, "Raito asks too many questions; has he not heard the idiom, 'Curiosity kills the cat?' Be patient, we'll be there soon, okay?"

"Fine." The older man huffed, but when he heard L chuckle, the royal could not help the smile that blossomed on his face; hearing the man laugh again, as he had before when Raito and him had been together, made the Prince feel that all was going to be right in the world again.

It was to not be more than five minutes later that L stopped the stallion, a bright smile on his face.

"Welcome Raito. Unfortunately, this place does not have a name, but I think it is still quite hospitable…and useful for your earlier request, ne?" An impish smirk did not hide itself in the least.

The Prince glanced up to see that the duo had arrived at a small shack; well, it was more of tiny cottage, looking to only have one lone room from the outside, perhaps two, but that other one was most likely a kitchen or sitting room. An outhouse, quite dilapidated, stood off to the side, made of rotting, wet wood. Vines and thorns grew all around the small shanty, dead rose blossoms wilting away on the surface of the home. Grass grew tall all around them, while some birds flew overhead, and a bunny, with light grey fur, hopped along.

"I'm sorry it is not in great shape externally, Raito-chan, but," L hopped off the horse, landing gracefully, "The insides are much better. I found this place one time I came to Wammy's. I realized it was a great place to escape to, and...it will serve us well for what Raito wished for me to do earlier."

"…" Raito just nodded, the tan face heating up at the remembrance of his own words, and the royal silently followed the raven inside, L opening the creaky, barely hinged door slowly, acting as if he feared the entire foundation would fall to pieces with the lightest touch, be it from a bony hand or a butterfly.

"Now, to find a light switch…" A pallid hand groped the nearest wall, to the left, and after a moment gave an exclamation of discovery, the lone, minute light in the room coming on softly, the light bulb dangling from the ceiling.

Indeed, Raito's observations outside had been correct, for the house was only one room; a bedroom, to be specific. A giant queen sized bed was in the middle of the room, laden with sheets, though they were not satin, they were soft cotton, plaid patterned, with a pair of puffy, feathery pillows at the head of the bed. Other than that, there was only a tiny nightstand that held nothing but an old book and a few pieces of paper, the light for the room already above the men's heads, shining. The floor was that of old, light golden-colored wood, a shaggy rug nestled near the foot of the bed. Dust was in groups in the upper corners of the ceiling, but neither a small critter nor bug wandered around the room, making Raito a very pleased man. There was a small door on the right wall, and when the prince glanced into it, he was surprised to find another small room, tinier than the one he stood in currently, and sepia eyes glanced in to see a tiny, tipped table resting crooked on the ground, and worn counters near that; a wooden stove was to the left of the counters, old pieces of firewood resting in the black device.

"Again, I apologize for the temporary accommodations, Raito." L took a few steps forward, "But no one has lived here in years, I found the place when I was just seven, and not a soul has stepped through these doors except my own, or at least to my knowledge." The younger man stood there with his hunched back, eying the large bed in the middle of the room, an aura of trepidation on his face.

"Hey, don't worry about it, it's private and quiet, that's what really matters, right?" The brunette walked to join his lover, and when the look of worry on L's face made itself completely known to the other, Raito placed a gentle hand on L's feminine waist, trying to silently comfort the other.

_Of course…He has never had any domination or control in his life…For years, at least…And now that he has it, it…it must be hard to decide what to do with it…Along with the fact that he has never been…one to dominate another in the act of copulation…_

L had just nodded at the comment, still staring at the bed; Raito knew that his L wanted to do this, but the fear was overshadowing everything, that had to be it.

"L," A quiet, soothing whisper came forth as a tan hand gently played with locks of ebony hair, "It's okay…you don't have to worry."

"Who said I was worried?" A pout came from the slave, and the question had been said all too quick; Raito knew the man was fearful, there was definitely no doubt now.

"No one said, but I can tell, karasu…" Raito gave a small peck on the pallid cheek next to his, then immediately took the younger one's hand, leading him to the bed. The prince sat himself first, then pulled the bony L onto his lap, twining fairly muscular arms around a thin neck, "L, you know I can read you fairly well…"

"All too well…" The still-pouting raven muttered under his breath, but was silenced with a quick kiss on the lips from the other.

"Exactly…but you'll do fine…"

"…Raito-chan shall be disappointed."

"Now who said THAT?"

"…I did." L whispered, "I am…I am not even in the same field of attractiveness as Raito, and he wants-"

"You."

"…What?"

"I. Want. You." The Prince sealed each word with another kiss, making the blush on L's face blossom even more so very, very rapidly.

"…Even though I am a…one of those. I still don't-"

"You won't be a slave for long L…"

"E-Excuse me?" Midnight eyes blinked speedily, L tilting his head cutely and even placed a finger near his lips, biting on the nail.

"I'll tell you later...You were so confident moments ago L, what's wrong?"

"…I may seem strong, Raito, I may seem confident, but I do not believe I really am. Everything that has happened has changed me…"

"…" Raito remained silently for some time, staring at the other man, whose head had dipped down a small amount; though, that did not last long, for the royal's swift fingers traveled to the buttons on his dress shirt, and began undoing them. L finally snapped out of the state his thoughts had put himself in, and spoke,

"W-What is Raito doing?"

Sepia eyes glanced up, and hands stopped undressing, for Raito to answer,

"Do you want me L?"

"…Yes."

"And you love me?"

"Yes…why is Raito being annoying and answering my question with questions and-EEP!"

Raito had pulled L back with him as he fell back onto the bed, letting out an intoxicating chuckle at his lover's surprised little sound.

"Then there is no problem, is there?" A thousand watt smile grew on Raito's face, and L could not help the grin coming to life on his own face.

"…I suppose not." The dread on the raven's face began to disperse, and swift and nimble hands began finishing unbuttoning the buttons of Raito's shirt, the Prince grinning, and becoming even more aroused as little tiny snippets of skin on skin contact occurred.

L slid the shirt off slowly the other's tan shoulders, and once the Raito wiggled out of the clothing and threw it aside, the raven's hand ghosted over nearly perfection of skin; the man could not spot even a tiny blemish on the other's abdomen or chest, but when a hand danced across Raito's back, the younger one spoke up, saying

"Raito has…a mole on his back? Yes, it feels like a mole, I-MMPH!"

Raito's old habit of interrupting L's sometimes embarrassing drawl came alive once more, the royal grabbing the slave, crashing lips onto his rapidly, but breaking away just as quick.

"Are you going to talk about my mole, or are you going to have me?"

"…I can't do both?" The bland stare from L made Raito want to slap and kiss the man…simultaneously.

"No, koibito, you can't."

"…Alright, then." L grinned impishly, and before Raito could even ask what the man was planning to do with him, pale lips collided with his pink ones wetly, sloppily, but the older man did not care, for it felt extremely pleasurable as tongues collided with one another, L's not even asking for permission to enter Raito's mouth.

Raito found himself mewling out of control as L tasted him, and tan hands twined themselves in ebony locks, tightly gripping at some points, relaxing their grip at other times. As the raven plundered his mouth, the brunette longed to touch the other's skin and when royal hands grasped the hem of L's shirt roughly, the raven broke away from the heated kiss to let the older one pull the clothing over his head, only to return to ravishing Raito's skin, this time the Prince's neck, once the clothing was tossed aside.

"Hah…" Mahogany eyes glazed over as the slave suckled and bit his neck, leaving markings without a care, marking the royal for his own. "AHH!" Raito found his back arching as L's skillful lips and tongue did their job on a particular area.

"Mmm…Raito's pulse is extremely sensitive…"

"Y-YES!"

"…I shall keep that in mind…" L growled out huskily, biting the royal's ear playfully a second later.

"G-Good God, L, and you w-were worried…?!"

"…Well, of course I was, did I not have a reason to be?"

"S-So...SKILLED!" L's mouth had descended on a pert nipple of Raito's sucking it roughly, while lanky fingers tweak the other; Raito found himself moaning in pleasure all too loudly, but did not let it bother him an ounce, for there was no one here to hear his cries of ecstasy.

"Mmm…" L murmured in delight, "Raito feels that I am…skilled?"

"Y-YES, you moron! K-Keep going!"

"Raito should not insult me while I am pleasuring him…" The raven chuckled, shaking his head, feathery locks tickling Raito's skin, "But I suppose since he loves me, and vice versa, we can make an exception."

"Y-Yes, I love you, m-make…a-an exception-AHH!" Raito murmured incoherently, screaming in bliss at the end when a hand snaked its way down his jeans, rubbing his member through his boxers, "OH, L…" The name was drawled out with pleasure, chocolate locks tossing back and forth, becoming greatly tousled, the lightly tan body becoming beaded with sweat, flushed with heat as the raven continued to tease his handsome lover.

"Raito is enjoying this….Perhaps I should remove these…" Steady fingers began unbuttoning the brunette's pants with dexterous movement and racing speed, and Raito shrugged out of them, tossing them in the growing pile of attire.

The nearly naked Prince was an exquisite sight to behold, and L could not help but wallow in the picture of perfection and mostly nude Raito.

"…L…" The brunette could not only see that stare, it was felt; as if hot little rays were shooting into his skin, climbing up his spine, tickling him with joy and bliss. Still, the ogling was somewhat unnerving, mainly due to the size of L's eyes, they being giant, those mystical orbs of onyx.

"..Rai-chan does not enjoy when I stare at his vivacious body?"

"V-Vivacious? I-I…n-no, it's not that, I-Nngh…"

Raito let out a groan instead of finishing his sentence as that talented hand continued to rub his member teasingly slow, the arousal beneath tenting quite noticeably; L stopped after a moment though, to slide off his pants…only for the prince to gape in shock at the lack of undergarments.

"L-L!?"

"…It is more comfortable and easier to not have them on sometimes, Rai-chan. Besides, I did not do the laundry earlier, so…"

The older man let out a husky laugh, but gasped languidly when the raven tugged off his own boxers with rough dominance.

"Mmm…I love Raito like this…naked and willing…legs parted for me," Here, L spread the man's legs even more so, even though Raito had parted them, very much in need, moments ago, "He shall enjoy this then, just as he was saying…"

"I-I was trying to tell you that, you j-jack-ass!"

"Of course you were Raito-chan…" The younger man straddled his lover, and began grinding hips together, the duo letting out a chorus of moans as hips and needy members collided, shooting up the pleasure and the pressure and need for release.

"Hnn…R-Raito…r-reach in the nightstand's...d-drawer!"

The royal man obeyed without question and slid a hand to the rusty knob on the drawer, flinging it open with force full of lust, and gazed down to find a container of lube sitting there, Raito pulling it out.

"Y-You bastard…" It was hard to speak, for L continued grinding their bodies together, chests sticky with sweat, erection dripping pre-cum, "Y-You planned this…all along?"

"…I figured there was a chance, R-Rai-chan? A-All I h-had to do w-was sneak away s-some of Mikami's lube w-while I was at his h-house wh-when he was s-sleeping...Hah..." Both men were panting by this time, L especially, and he grabbed the bottle from his lover, twisting open the cap, throwing it against the wall with lovely and gorgeous fury, and L dunked his fingers into the substance, three to be exact, and gently pushed one past the puckered folds of the Prince's entrance.

"AH! B-Be gentle L-L!" Raito winced at the startling uncomfortable feeling that exploded right off the bat, his hands coming to L's shoulders, gripping them roughly.

"Shh, Raito-chan…be patient, it will get better. Did you n-not tell me that l-last time?" The slave went slowly, stretching with care, with accurate calmness.

"Hnn…Y-Yeah, but-OHH!" Bronze eyes widened as Ratio moaned lustily, spreading his body even more wantonly, nails digging into L's shoulders once more, "L! ERU!"

"Ahh…" That impish grin came back on the pallid one's face, and when another finger was inserted, and that same spot, that damnable spot that made Raito squirm in pleasure, beg in whines for more of that firework-like feeling, was hit again as that pair of appendages stretched him even more.

"Oh, L…M-MORE…P-Please…" When that third finger came in, all of Raito's conscious thoughts went out the window, the pleasure increasing once more with just the man above him's, whose dark orbs were filled to the brim with so much love and lust and passion that it made the brunette squirm, touch.

"Heh…We do not want Raito coming ahead of time, do we?" The bony fingers left Raito, causing the older man to whine in distress at the loss of his lover's touch; but when he glanced at L, who was lavishing up his member with lube, he moaned at the erotic sight, eager for complete connection with the other man.

The brunette found his ankles on L's shoulders, heated charcoal-hued orbs staring into his own chocolate pair, and the raven slowly slid himself into the Prince; slowly indeed, for L saw Raito wince in hurtful pain, his beautiful face twisting in distress, a groan escaping from the older man's voice.

"Easy, Raito-chan…i-it will b-begin to get b-better…" The slave stuttered out, his eyes rolling back somewhat at the euphoric feel of the tightness and heat that Raito was giving him, "H-Hah…R-Raito…..h-hot and...t-tight..." The raven slowly continued to pierce his lover's entrance, and the man beneath him continued to groan in a mixture of joy and pain; Raito could see that L was hesitating, trying to be slow, but was losing his control all too quickly.

"R-Raito, I am…fully in…" Both bodies were sweating and panting, and all the Prince could do was nod at the statement, a dazed smile on his face.

"M-Move…please…" The feeling of L's member was beginning to feel less excruciating, and more comfortable. Raito even tried moving his hips a tiny bit, and gasped in pleasure when L's erection slide in him even more so, moving; L growled at the motion, and his self-control snapped like twine, and he began thrusting in and out, roughly, like that of a wild animal, pounding the man into the mattress.

"HAH! L-L! Oh, YES, PLEASE!" In an out, the thrusting motion sent erotic sparks shooting up Raito's spine; royal nails had moved to L's back, and began to scratch at the snow-white skin, making it give off tiny droplets of blood; this action just further stimulated the slave, making him growl huskily, and sped up his slamming even more, causing Raito to call out and scream in pleasure at a greater rate, arching his back often, eager to get closer to his raven lover.

"Hah…O-Of course R-Raito…R-Raito, look at me…" The dominant one commanded, and the Prince obeyed without hesitation, his sepia eyes beginning to burn into ebony ones, and the beautiful sight of his flushed, sweating, and hair-tousled L made Raito mutely gasped, as those half-lidded orbs scorched and burned with desire.

L continued to take him roughly, shoving and slamming him into the springy mattress, so hard the bed frame hit the back wall with a bang, but neither man heard it, their choir of moans, gasps and mewls sounding out loud enough to block out the world.

The world...yes, it was blocked out...For Raito, now there was just himself and L...no one else; The Prince wished it could be like this forever. It was sort of a naïve wish, but what wish did not have a tinge of naivety in it?

The world would still be there when Raito and L were done copulating, were done with their sexual rendezvous, always.

But still...As Raito laid there, screaming in ecstasy as L began pounding his prostate repeatedly, the royal screaming out in ecstasy, he knew that he had to be with the raven, for no one else would suit him, in all so many ways...And as long as that solemn vow played in his head, Raito knew it would be true...

Perhaps that wish…The wish to have L for as long as he could, hopefully for the rest of their lives...was not so naïve after all...

"AH! L-L! Oh, Eru, M-More! Hahn!" The slave had gripped Raito's weeping and throbbing member, and had begun to pump it with a bony hand, the other hand running up and down the brunette's chest, finally coming to rest in auburn tresses, gently tugging every so often.

"R-Raito…I…I…" The men continued to stare into each other's eyes, and Raito could tell his lover would not last much longer, being still very inexperienced. So the Prince continued to move his hips in time with L's, hands holding the younger man even closer and tighter, sweaty bodies colliding in bliss, russet and ebony locks combining into one.

"I-It's okay, c-come in me! OH L, GOD YES! P-Please! YES, L!"

The sight of Raito tossing back and forth on the mattress, the feeling of his muscles clamping down on his member, the heat, the aura of lust and sex and love…it finally sent L over the edge, for he screamed in pure rapture, calling out Raito's name, coming inside of his royal lover.

"AH!" Raito felt L release his juices, and he himself screamed in ecstasy at the intense pleasure, "L!", and the Prince came all over both of them.

"..."

"..."

L pulled out of his lover, both men panting, and collapsed on top of Raito with a sigh; neither man spoke nor moved for many moments, all too lost in the moment of bliss.

"...Mmm...You'll get cold, L..." Raito picked up the lithe body gently, L not resisting at all, and slide both he and himself under the covers, kissing the raven softly on the lips before embracing him tightly. L had awoken out of his sex stupor at the kiss, and gave a soft smile, nestling into Raito's arms even more.

"Raito keeps me warm. His arms, his kisses…His body, myself pounding into it-"

"You little pervert." Raito let out a chuckle, ruffling the raven's feather poof of hair, causing L to pout.

"So you say...but are you sure I am a pervert?"

"...Pretty sure?"

"..."

"Aw, don't pout…it will just make me kiss it away, L." The older one teased cheekily, and even L could not help but give a grin.

"Then I would not mind, Raito...but..."

"But...what? What's wrong?" It was obvious something had seeped into the slave's mind, his black eyes shone with the familiar sheen of trepidation that Raito had seen earlier.

"I have not told Raito all that has happened to me. The…The full details of how I came to be. I should have earlier, but...I had wanted to do so after this, after our...fornication. So..."

"Tell me, L…tell me now, share your story. You know I'll listen. Is that why you chose this place to have sex?"

"..." L just nodded, stating that the privacy was needed, and in seconds had begun to tell his tale; how his parents had been "mysteriously killed", how he had come to live with Naomi Misora, how she died of an illness, supposedly, for L still believed she had been murdered in some fashion, just like how he believed his parents had suffered a similar fate. He continued, telling of Misa's actions in burning his birth certificate, turning his life upside down, all of his tale leading up to their meeting.

…

"…So that is it, Raito…that's my entire story…" L had finished many moments later, Raito just listening all the while, an eager but serious expression on his striking face.

"..She burned it. That…That is illegal, she can't do that L. Was there anyone else there at the time? You said Mello, yes?"

"Correct, Mello was there at the time of the burning."

"…You know we can arrest her for that, L."

"..." L blinked in surprise, "W-Would you?"

"Yes, and she also tortured you mercilessly, which…once I put a law into affect…" Raito's mind was already scheming up a plot to make sure L had his revenge, "Don't worry, I have a few ideas in mind, I'll tell you them later, okay?"

The raven nodded, but before he could speak up again, Raito asked one more question,

"L? You…Do you know your old last name? The one from your parents, I mean…your birth name."

"…Yes. I do." L stated kindly, his eyes suddenly becoming glued to the sheets of the bed.

"Oh…" _Perhaps he does not want to share…? I…I guess he doesn't have to…but…_

The duo was silent for some time, many moments, until L gave out a sigh, and muttered sensitively,

"…Lawliet."

"…Hm?"

"…M-My last name was Lawliet, Raito. L Lawliet…was my full name."

Sepia eyes widened with glee, a grin plastering itself on Raito's face, those auburn eyes staring at the young and only Lawliet with joy.

"Lawliet…" The name rolled off the royal's tongue as he laid back, happy as a newborn clam, feeling that he was now as close as he could be with L.

_L…L Lawliet…It sounds so magical…_

_Hmm…_

…

Some tiny memory stirred in Raito's mind, something from many days ago; something that the name 'Lawliet' had brought out…

It was days ago, when Raito had been moping around the castle….And Ryuk had caught him in the hall…

_"Hey, Raito!"_

_"…What?" The Prince had drawled out, holding a cup of coffee, dark bags already forming under his eyes from the lack of sleep._

_"Hehehe…that killer finished his message, do you want to see?"_

_"No, Ryuk, I don't."_

_"But come on…" The man called a "Death God" drawled out, "It's really cool, and mysterious! It says "I WANT LAWLIET!"_

_"Later Ryuk!"_

…

…_LAWLIET…No-_

"L!!" The royal shot up immediately, eyes now full of dread, "A-Are there any more Lawliets out there?!"

"…No, Raito. I am the last one. Probably the last one in all of the kingdom…" L spoke wistfully, eyes traveling over the ceiling.

"…" Instantaneously, Raito sprang from the bed, grabbing his clothes, "Get dressed!" He ordered, tossing L his own attire.

"What? Raito, what is-?"

"Someone's after you L. Or so I believe."

"…I-I don't understand. A-After me? Raito, if this is a joke…" The raven talked unsurely as he dressed at his lover's order.

"Trust me, this is no joke. I'm taking you home; we need to find out more information." Raito was zipping up his pants, and buttoning his shirt just as L, whom was one for dressing quickly, was standing there waiting.

"Raito, you're scaring me…"

"I know, but trust me, something is not right." The brunette grabbed the other's hand, tugging him outside, towards the horse that they had tied up to a nearby pine tree. "My father and my bodyguard will help, don't worry. All I can say is…I think someone is after you L. For what, I don't know…but…"

"…It's my name, isn't it? You…you recognized something when you heard it, is that it?" L questioned as he hopped on the stallion, Raito following, getting in the front.

"…Yes. But I don't want you to fear, okay? We'll figure this out. And I know a shortcut back to the castle, I used to…well, run off sometimes."

"When Raito-chan wanted to be rebellious?"

The Prince laughed, "Yes, exactly. Now hang on!"

Kicking the beast lightly, Raito sped off, L holding on for dear life…

And L feared he was holding on for dear life in many, many ways…

OoOOOOOOOOOOoOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoo

**Some Miles Away, the Hasegawa Woods…Beyond Birthday's Fortress**

oOOooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"Do you have the report, Higuchi?" The killer with the red eyes questioned from his gigantic chair in the middle of the meeting room, the seat synonymous to a throne.

"Yes, Sir, we do." The leader of the ruthless gang, the Yotsuba Nine, passed the paperwork to Beyond, who read it eagerly, a devilish grin blossoming on his face.

"Excellent. Now, all of you nine gentlemen, I shall give you your next assignment. You are to steal from the second Royal Armory and Treasury building about seven miles north of here, and then you shall return to this spot."

Namikawa, the second in command, spoke up, "With all due respect dear Beyond, is that not…dangerous?"

BB hesitated to laugh, "Of course it is, but if you rob it between the hours of four and six PM, in…oh, let's say tomorrow, how about that? Tomorrow, yes, that's an excellent date; you shall succeed."

"And what of you?!" Midou, the third in command questioned with hesitation, "If we come back here, the police are sure to find you, and even us! What-"

"Do not worry, silly Midou…I shall not be in the building at the time, and when I return…Things shall be taken care of. Now go rest up, and prepare for attack."

"Yes, Beyond." All nine men bowed, exiting the room without uttering a word, shutting the door behind them.

"…KYAHAHAHAHAH!" Oh, those men were so stupid, so stupid that Beyond had to laugh righteously out loud, nearly falling out of his seat. To think, they obeyed his every order on command all because he had gotten lucky when he was six.

"Oh, they'll see…they're all just little puppets in the big game. Stealing from the Armory is the hardest task to complete, and of course they'll be caught and killed…I can see their life spans…" B whispered menacingly to himself, grinning like a maniac, "And I know, without a doubt, the Prince will come…there's no way he wouldn't, for the Armory holds many of his own weapons, his own money…and if I am lucky, which I usually am…He'll have Lawli with him…and then…" BB picked up a nearby dagger, his favorite dagger, with red roses built into the hilt, and swung his wrist, flinging it to the wall…

…Where it sank into a picture of Raito Yagami, hitting it directly on the Prince's forehead.

"KYAHAHAH! Oh, LAWLIIII! It's time to come home…" The killer continued to grin, and stared at a picture from long ago, of him at age five, and…

Lawliet at the sweet, cute age of three months old…

"Yes, it's time to take back what's mine…"

OoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooOOOOooO

A/N: : DDD Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Long one, over ten thousand words! ^^

I LOVED writing…well, all of this, really! XD B's scene was so much fun, I keep revealing little by little, and I bet you all have some guesses as to his relationship with L!

Well, thanks so much again, and review/comment if you'd like, and I'll talk to you all soon! ^-^ Thank **jesus-of-suburbia2o2o** for being an amazing BETA, she'll be looking at this soon, and **HAPPY HOLIDAYS**! : D


	12. Pieces of the Puzzle Fall, Blood Flows

A/n: Woot, welcome back people! : D We're getting closer to the end of the fairytale, and I'd love to thank all of you whom have read it so far; and for those that are reading This Eternity, I WILL be updating soon once more, I've just been preoccupied with getting this one done, then returning back to that one! XD **Jesus-of-surburbia2o2o** has to look at this one too, love you girl. ;D Please enjoy, and thank you to all whom have reviewed and faved and alerted this story as well!

_OOoOOoooOOOOOOOOOoOOOoooOOOoOoooo_

_"Deeper meaning resides in the fairy tales told me in my childhood  
than in any truth that is taught in life."_

_- Johann Christoph Friedrich v. Schiller,  
German Poet_

_OoOOOOOOOoOoooooooOOOOoOoOoOoOOOoooOoOOoOOooOOOoOOooooo_

**~Seven P.M., The Royal Castle of the Yagami Family~**

The duo on the horse had arrived at the royal grounds just as the sun was beginning to set on the glorious summer day, twilight's gentle fingers stretching across the sky, beginning to darken it. Twinkling stars were just starting to shimmer and sparkle, awakening from their slumber, which began when the sun's rays hid them. Clouds were vanishing, clearing away, for it had rained earlier on his side of Kisamari, Raito and L just beating the storm.

The prince wasted no time in tugging his once-again lover off the horse, the stallion tied outside to a tree, a guard would come back for it later. The men rushed past the guards that patrolled the front doors of the home; thankfully no showing of identification was needed.

The prince dragged his lover down the colorful, royal halls, adorned with fancied tapestries and paintings of the residential family, both men barely keeping an even breath, for Raito was running extremely fast.

Once the young prince got to a red, oval door with golden doorknobs in the shape of hooks, he pounded his fist on the wood, letting out a scream of,

"Father! Open up! We need to talk, right now! It can't wait until morning!"

The door rapidly opened with a bang, most likely due to the fearful tone of the young Yagami, and there stood Soichiro, having already retired for the night and attired in a blue royal robe, his wife standing a few feet back, confusion etched on both of their faces.

"Raito, what is the matter? And...L?"

The raven had tried to stand behind the older lover of the duo, but he had been spotted, and all L could do was nod shyly, giving a small wave to Sachiko as she came closer.

"Sire, I hate for the disturbance, I know you probably were resting for the night, but Raito insisted that-"

"L's in trouble!" Raito did not give the other a chance to finish his statement, nearly screaming the declaration with horror, "We're fine now, as a couple, but…but he…I think someone's out to kill him, Dad."

"…" Soichiro's eyes were firmly set in a neutral stare, but had widened at the word kill; the old gentleman could tell right off the bat his son was not lying, for that handsome face was filled with a fear that it had never shown…except for when Raito had believed that the man he loved would never return to his side, "…Alright. I'll call Ryuk. Meet the three of us down in the tea room, understood?"

Raito nodded, and the bedroom door closed once more, and silence permeated the castle, an uncomfortable and foreboding silence. All the brunette could do was gently squeeze L's hand as he lead them down the halls to the south set of steps, kissing his cheek once they opened the small tan door leading into the private room, where they were to await the other humans, and soon the questions would begin.

…

L unleashed every word, every single word he could tell of his own tale, starting back from when his parents had died, to when Misa had made him a servant, all the way up to the meeting of Raito. Once he had decided enough information had been said, the young man, sitting in his traditional crouch, sipped his tea softly, when Sachiko spoke up, sitting next to her husband proudly,

"My, my what a horrid girl…I had an odd feeling about her at the masque, Raito. Sweetheart, what she did was against the law, right? So…"

"…She will be punished, of course. As long as someone else can attest to her actions."

L nodded, "My step-brother can, and Raito can stand up for me, proving how she did her acts out of jealousy, hatred. Matt may also as well."

"And now you say…someone wants you dead?" Soichiro gave L a stern look, showing that this was not a joking matter, and L once again complied with a dip of his head.

"According to Raito, there is someone whom has spelled out a name in a message…Lawliet, was that correct?"

"!!" At saying the name, the King spit out some of his own tea, his wife blinking in shock, immediately asking if he was well, the man only shaking her off gently, and asking, "Lawliet…that is what the message was? RYUK! Why did you not say anything?"

"Hehehe...I told Raito, and I tried to tell you, but you've been so distraught and so busy, it just went right over your head, Your Majesty." The lanky bodyguard and fighter stated, shrugging his shoulders lazily.

"So the name was correct…" L murmured, "Well, if you have not already guessed, yes Sire, my last name is Lawliet. L Lawliet being my full name."

"…" The older Yagami male just stared at L, observing him, as if trying to recall a thought or a memory; a moment later, realization must have hit the man, for he gasped, an aged hand flying to his mouth, dark eyes shaped like large saucers, "Impossible…I knew you looked familiar but…RYUK! Bring me that box that is under my bed! And go and retrieve as much information on the Lawliet family as you can!"

"What do I look like, a dowdy servant? I'll get the information, but there's probably not much, them being dead over nineteen years and all, but maybe there's something? But I do I gotta get the box-"

"Just get it!" The King thundered in the small private room, and Ryuk immediately fled, his Gothic accessories jingling as he ran out of the room, the others left in the silent, small abode.

The Gothic male returned less than five minutes later with a green metal box with a latched lid with a golden lock. In his other hand was a lone sheet of paper, and Ryuk stated as he returned, "Here. There's your box and the key with it," He handed his Majesty the container, whom had already begun to open it in a hurried frenzy. "All I could find on the name Lawliet were the names, which were-"

"Takumi and Lisette Lawliet."

"Takumi and Lisette Lawliet." L and Soichiro had said the names at once, and even Ryuk let out a "WOAH!" at the shock, the crouching raven only letting out a small gasp as he stared at the King.

"H-How...How do you know my parents' names? They-"

"..." Soichiro said nothing, only smiling while gazing into the box, finding what he had sought, and pulling it out; the object was small, and old, covered with some dust, for it had not been looked at in years, but the graying Yagami shone a larger smile once he held it up to the light, observing it better, "This is how I know your parents' names, dear boy."

…It was a photograph, an old one, faded due to the years, but still very clear…

And L let out a small scream of shock when he recognized the picture, for he had not forgotten that picture, even if he had only seen it once, over fourteen years ago.

It was himself, as a young babe…and his parents.

A handsome man with short black hair, far from as wild as L's, framed a picture-perfect thin face, a serious smile, almost a snicker, was coming from the man, one bony hand on his wife's shoulder while he wore a black suit, a red tie adorned on his thin, but still muscular body, dark ebony orbs, exactly like L's looking at the camera teasingly, challengingly. The woman was a beautiful specimen, with wild long black hair, just like L's, but she herself had ice-blue eyes, full red lips, while her husband had pale ones that matched his son's, and a red necklace was dressing up her thin, snow-white neck and skin. L, a small bundle, was in her arms, looking out with wide windows to the soul, and a tiny forefinger and thumb was pointing at the camera, almost making a crooked L.

Lawliet had only seen this photo once, a few days before Naomi Misora had died, and since then, the image had been buried blurred in his mind, sometimes being able to remember them, others not so much. But he had seen that picture all those years ago, his excellent memory could recall it, but the raven had always believed that there had only been one copy, the copy Misa had chosen to burn right after L had become a servant.

"…How do you have this?" L could not stop the solemn tears that were beginning to blossom in his eyes, and Soichiro sighed, taking off his glasses.

"Your father…was a good friend of mine."

"…W-What!?"

"Dad, you can't be serious!" Raito piped up, reaching for L's hand instinctively, "Tell me you're not joking."

"I am not joking. L, your father and I were good friends. The Lawliets were a prominent family here in Kisamari, Raito, L, and even in the village of Kanto. That is the name of your village, yes L?"

All L could do was nod in agreement, transfixed on the King as he continued,

"I remembered that they had given birth to a son, but for the life of me, I could not remember the name of their son, nor did I go to see your parents after you were born. Troubles and issues had come up, and I just did not have the time. They had sent me this picture though…" Soichiro reached out, lightly touching the photograph, "But I never got to ask them their son's name. And then…they died. In that fire. All I had to remember them by, mainly Takumi, was this little memory. I had known him since I was a young lad; he had helped, with his superior intelligence, secure Kisamari the best trade deals, best treaties, some of the best agricultural supplies, he even made the schools better! His wife was just as strong, helping take care of children and orphans, a prominent figure in the rights of slaves, women, and children, and any one of lower class. Lisette was a lovely woman, she would sing in churches of all denominations for she had a magnificent voice, charmed many it did. The Lawliets were known for giving their money away secretly as well. For you see, even thought Takumi and Lisette did all of this, it was mostly kept secret. Takumi only confided with me in private, no one else, and Lisette always asked not a word be spoken of her own good deeds, and all complied. It was amazing how charitable they were…that's why I never figured a soul would hurt them; hence I never suspected their death to be foul play, and only an accident. But here you are, L…" The man trailed off, chuckling, "Funny, the first time I saw you, you looked so familiar, you remind me so much of your father…"

"…I do?"

"Your voices…they're so similar. That same dull drawl, no offense. But…And your eyes as well, dark as his, with hints of gray sprinkled in like drops of ice…"

"I'm flattered, Your Highness…" L spoke softly, and with a bony finger and thumb, he picked up the picture, and Soichiro laughed, "Your father did some of that too, not often, not as much as you do, but he did."

The raven only replied with an agreeing murmur, staring at the picture for some time, and he felt Raito lean over and gaze over his shoulder, speaking softly, "You have your mother's hair, both of their skins…They're beautiful L…"

"...Yes…" L whispered, "They were…"

"…Yes, were…" Soichiro let out a sigh, taking off his glasses, rubbing his worn eyes, "And now you say someone wants you dead, and I can only believe it to be true. That name is rare, for there is no one else with that name, right Ryuk? What information did you find?"

"Psh. Practically nothing, Sire. All I found was this: "Takumi and Lisette Lawliet. Dead. Supposed Fire."

"…That's it?" Raito nearly shouted, "What kind of system are we running here Father?!"

"You know how things have been run, Raito. The dead are just listed as dead, with little to no details. They are completely deleted from the system; and since L was made a servant, it was if he was never born into the Lawliet family."

"...But this won't help us! We need more information! What if the Lawliets had enemies, what if they had trouble with some monstrous people from another kingdom? Ryuk, you have to search for more information, PLEASE!"

"Well…I'm not sure how. Once stuff is deleted, I don't think you can really get it back. I suppose I could ask Matt, but I'm guessing it would take hours, well into the night to find anything, if anything that could help us."

"Ryuk, you HAVE to try." Raito commanded firmly, and the lanky, dark man turned to the King, who nodded, stating,

"Ryuk, go and awaken Matt, I'm sure he would be happy to help with anything technological. You go and look in the paper records, see if there is anything there. We shall stay here; I may be able to remember more about the Lawliets. And Ryuk…take as much time as you need."

The "Death God" bowed, "As you say, Your Majesty.", and left the room to retrieve Mail Jeevas.

After the red-head had stopped by the tea room, saying he would be more than happy to help, the night became long and tiresome, the small room where the royals and L's were was silent as Soichiro began to weave tales of L's parents, telling him stories he had never even dreamed of hearing, while Matt worked downstairs, hoping to retrieve as much information as possible…

OoOOOooOooOoOOOOOOooOOooOOOooOOoO

**Hours Later, Two A.M.**

OoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOoOooo

The night had come, midnight had already passed, and L was snoozing softly on Raito's shoulders, the prince himself napping softly on the same couch, his parents sleeping on the other. About five minutes pass two, the door opened softly, a light flipping on, Matt appearing in the doorway. The gamer looked tired; his goggles were hanging around his neck, a cigarette on his lips puffing out plumes of smoke.

"Well, I did my best, and I recovered just about everything. It took me nearly seven hours, but I think I got it all. Here, take a look."

The King had woken up right away, but his wife was still sleeping, Sachiko being a heavy sleeper and all, so he moved her gently to the side, covering her body up with a blanket that he had retrieved around eleven P.M. The man took the sheets of paper just as Raito and L stirred and were awake enough to move and look over his shoulder at the words, and the pictures of the couple which were placed right at the top of the sheet.

_Names: Takumi and Lisette Lawliet_

_Birthday: Takumi - January 15th…exact year failed to be recovered._

_Birthday: Lisette - March 9th…exact year failed to be recovered._

_Death Date: (Same for both) - February 13th, 2011 _

The paper went on to describe the two humans, their home villages (Takumi's being that of Vandilla, Lisette's being Cordele), their marriage status and date, their financial status (fairly rich, was what the document described, along with personal references, hobbies, personality, looks, all of which L had been told as some odd "bed time story" by Soichiro hours before.

It was when it got to L that the information got more interesting…

_Offspring:_

_- L Lawliet - Born on October 31, 2010_

_A young man of high intelligence, with dark hair like his father and mother, eyes like his father, shows visible traits of both of them. Expected to be a prominent member society eventually._

A small picture of L was under his description and the raven's eyes widened, "So…there was information on me?"

"Of course. There might be more, but I don't think we need to look for it right now," Matt replied, "Because keep reading. There's something you might find interesting."

The trio of men did, and a few moments later, L gazed at the subject that did look the most interesting:

_Friends And/Or Enemies-_

_The Lawliets had many friends, mainly in the village of Kanto, but they kept to themselves mostly. Two friends of Lisette were known as Mary Kenwood, and Naomi Misora. The family of Lawliets was also known to associate with another family in Kisamari, but their name was never found out and are unknown. It is perhaps this family that could be considered an enemy, for when asked about "them", or "that family you speak with", Takumi only replied with "We neither see nor speak the them anymore" to the royal messenger. This family was most likely situated in Kanto at the time, but that is still undecided and unknown._

_Cause of Death: The Lawliets died mysterious due to a fire, said to have been caused by an electrical accident in the home. The only one spared was L Lawliet, who was placed in the care of someone. As to if it was truly an accident, the Kanto police force stopped investigating after three months, a surprise to many, declaring the fire and deaths "purely accidental". Interestingly enough, in Kanto, there had been a robbery said to have been done by the Yotsuba Eight (called Yotsuba Nine in some areas) just two days before their deaths, meaning the killing and tough men had most likely been in the area, so secretly some suspect they were behind the deaths. That fact is not certain though, so the death cause has remained unchanged._

"…The Yotsuba men…I should have known…" Soichiro growled, crinkling the paper in his hands somewhat, a wrathful gaze on his weathered face.

"Yotsuba Eight? Are they not the group of robbers, thieves, and murderers? A…criminal syndicate of sorts?"

"Yes, L, and how much do you want to bet they're involved in your parents' death?" Raito spoke to his lover, holding his hand.

"…Indeed, but...a syndicate? Why would they go after my parents? Perhaps...well, money could be an option, and the whole "good versus evil" mentality of many, but still, I just have a feeling there is a deeper reasoning behind this, Raito-chan."

"Indeed," Soichiro spoke, "But it is late, and you two need your rest. Go to sleep, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"You mean Misa's punishment? The one we discussed earlier?" The younger Yagami boy asked his father, who returned the question with a nod.

"Correct. L, do you find it fair?"

"...She is my step-sister by adoption, but I can firmly say that I have no qualms about doing those actions to her, Your Highness."

"Very well then, you two go off. L, I assume you shall be staying in Raito's room for the rest of your time here?"

"…" L's eyes widened, he had forgotten that Raito had pretty much invited him into his home, "So Raito-chan does want me to stay here…"

"Of course I do, you moron!" The brunette shouted, then winced when he remembered that he had to be quiet for his still-slumbering mother, so he lowered his voice, "What do YOU think? I love you, my parents adore you, my sister thinks you're amazing, where ELSE should you stay? Besides...In a few days, I have to ask you something…that may want you to make your residences here permanent, so you can't go anywhere, got it? You're staying here and-"

"Alright, Raito-chan, I shall. Now let us leave your father in peace, yes?"

…

The lovers had made their way to Raito's bedroom, getting ready for sleep silently, the air between them happy, but it was overshadowed by the fear in L's and Raito's hearts, due to the new information learned that night. Once they crawled into bed, adorning only boxers, they spoke not a word, the brunette only giving the raven a small peck on the lips as comfort.

"…You're afraid." A statement, not a question.

"I wasn't until I found out someone wants me dead, Raito." L sighed, snuggling closer to the other man, his thumb on his lips, an old habit, L was known for biting or sucking on his thumb during slumber, "Years ago, I did not care if I was to die, the treatment and my life was awful. But now that I have found solace and love and my heart has returned to me, I do not wish to leave this world, not just yet."

"…" Raito silently held L in his arms, a tan hand running through midnight locks, "I bet you did think that a lot. But I don't want you to worry; guards will be in your presence until we solve this, and I'll be right by your side the entire time as well."

"…Guards can't be with me twenty-four seven, Rai-chan. Neither can you; and even though you wish to protect me from every single demon out there that would wish to destroy me, you cannot. If death is to take me, you cannot stop it, I just can only wish it does not take me."

"Don't talk like that! Nothing is going to happen to you, okay? Please, try to be optimistic and just rest. I'm sure you don't feel like sleeping…" The Prince yawned, and closed his eyes, "You and…your insomnia…and all…"

In moments, Raito was asleep, holding the wide awake raven. The man had already gotten two hours of sleep earlier, dozing off at midnight, so he was fully fine for the time. But it was not just insomnia that kept him awake in the dead of night, the moon shimmering outside, now a crescent shape, its beams dancing over the small ponds dotted around the gardens, no, it was not just L's ability to sleep less, fear too had come and gripped his heart with iron knuckles.

Not just because of the ominous feeling in the air…

Not just because of the new information….About his parents and the Yotsuba Eight-slash-Nine…

But also because what L had seen in the background of that photograph that Soichiro had shown, along with given to, him.

Swiftly, without disturbing his mate, L reached over and grabbed the photograph from off the nightstand, gazing at it again, letting out a soft sigh.

There, in the background, near what appeared to be an open door, was a blur, mostly blacked out, very dark towards the top of it, while pale-ish white, tan, and black mixed together to form the rest of the figure.

But two objects were clearly visible on that figure…

Two bright red dots, with smaller black ones in the center…

_Two eyes…_

_What else could they be…?_

L had not mentioned the "eyes" to Raito, for he feared the Prince would just laugh it off as being paranoia, or something else.

So the snow-white skinned man flipped the photograph over, face down on his chest as he stared up into the white ceiling, pondering many things…

Just as the sun was rising, L had dozed off, a dream of his parents playing with him in the park haunting his mind…

While two red eyes stared out at him from a bush…

Calling a haunting name…

_"Lawli…Oh, Lawli…Why don't you come play with me…?"_

OoOOooooOOoOOoOoOoOOoOOoOOooOooOOOooOOoOOO

**Hours Later, The Yagami Castle, Eleven A.M.**

OOOOoOOooOOooOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Victory was sweet, like a hard candy peppermint…

That was what Misa Amane Misora pondered as the Royal Mercedes drove her to the castle.

The royal guards had knocked on her door, early, at about nine A.M, stating that Prince Raito had wished to have her company and speak to her immediately.

Of course, the blonde girl giggled and squealed with delight, while she noticed Mello kept a neutral face, as if he did not care at all, which surprised her greatly, but she let it past.

_Finally…!_

_Raito sees that I'M the one for him, that I am going to be his perfect wife and bride, and one day, I'll rule by his side as queen, and I'll get him to do things for me…!_

_Oh, Mother, aren't you proud…? I bet you're FINALLY noticing me, am I right…?!_

The car arrived at the castle by eleven, the young woman being helped out of the car so as to not damage her beautiful (yet revealing and provocative) black dress that shimmered in the golden sun's rays.

A short trip down the hall towards the royal throne room, Misa bubbling to the two guards escorting her about how she was already planning her and Raito's wedding ("There's gonna be lots of dancing, and I've already found the perfect wedding dress! Ooh, but no sweets, they make you fat!"), and eventually the doors opened, the men gently pushing Misa in…

And that's when her mood went downhill from there…

Raito was seated on his normal throne, but it had been moved. Where usually his father was seated in the middle atop of those steps, it was the Prince himself who sat there, his father on his right, his mother on his left, Sayu on her left. The glares coming from the noble men and women that apparently had been invited as well were heated, and full of pure hatred. Raito himself kept a soft gaze and a smirk on his lips; where Misa would normally find that smirk inviting and charming, it today held a sinister tone. But what even upset the Misora woman more was Kiyomi Takada was standing in front of the young Yagami boy, just a little more towards the left.

"Ah, Misa…we've been waiting for you. Please, come in." Raito spoke calmly, nodding the girl forward, Misa's smile all but disappearing as she trekked towards the Prince; her smile vanished completely when she spotted Mihael, her brother, standing off to the side with a red-head, whom if she remembered correctly, was called Matt. How Mello had gotten here before her was a mystery to the ditzy blonde, but she guessed he must have taken a shortcut…the real question was WHY was Mello here?

Once Misa was standing next to Takada, who sent the blonde a freezing stare, she softly spoke up, a cute smile on her face, "You wanted to see me, Your Highness."

"Yes, I did Misa. Do you know about what?"

"No, I do not, Raito-sama…" Misa did a small curtsy, "Would you like to tell me what?"

"Why, of course, and I can tell Takada why she is here as well." The Prince bent over to his left, where a small brown bag was seated, tucked away from prying eyes; after opening the flap on the bag, Raito pulled out a parchment, and unfurled it, "Misa, can you tell me what this is?"

"…" The Misora woman bent forward to gaze at the certificate, and when she fully grasped the content of the piece of paper, she let out a terrified scream of fear, falling back onto the ground, near the steps that led up to the thrones.

"Oh? Do you recognize THIS?" Raito thrusted the piece of paper towards Misa's face once more, "You thought it was GONE, didn't you!?"

…It was a new birth certificate…

One that Raito ordered that would specially and strictly made for L within the past three hours…

One that would give him back all that he had lost…

_Name: L Lawliet_

_Birth Date: October 31, 2010_

_Residence: Kingdom of Kisamari, Village of Kanto_

_Parents:_

_- Father: Takumi Lawliet_

_- Mother: Lisette Lawliet_

_Status in Kingdom: __**Noble**_

"N-No…I d-don't know what you're talking about!" Misa shouted; the woman could not believe it, it was impossible, this all had to be just a horrid nightmare. She had destroyed that pitiful document years ago! This could only mean Raito had fallen for her wretched step-brother, and…and…

"Can it Misa, we're found out." Takada spat, "Just start acting mature, and we might get off easy."

"That's right, it would be best to act mature right now, Misora-san." Raito's smiled glimmered evilly as he folded up the parchment, putting it on his lap, "Now, as you both know, it is illegal to destroy a certificate of another on purpose. It is also illegal to know about it and do nothing of the sort to fix it, which is why Takada-san is here. For she was your main accomplice right? Others may know about it, but I am not going to go on a punishing spree and be tyrannical."

"H-How did you know that I did it?!" Misa screamed at the top of her lungs, "Did L tell you?! Mello?! WHO?!"

"Why, yes, L did tell me, along with Mello, and yes, I do believe both of them. For the love I have for L is deeper and means more to me than any stupid title ever could. And I trust his caring step-brother, who has been invited into my castle as well."

"…As well?" The woman shuddered, and at this time, Raito stepped off of his throne, and came to stand right in front of Misa; bending down, he whispered softly,

"Yes, as well. For L is going to be living here and I plan to ask for his hand in marriage within the next few days. The man you tried to destroy is the man whom I have come to cherish and love, and I plan to do both for the rest of my days on this Earth, which is filled with scum like you. But when I take the throne, I plan to eradicate many people like you, and punish you,and others like yourself, for your crimes against amazing people and humanity itself."

The blonde gasped at the word 'marriage' and looked pale as a ghost, as if she was about to faint. Raito returned back to his regal seat, and proclaimed, "You two may get a lesser punishment, actually…if anyone can speak on your behalf, tell how 'good' you are."

….Not a soul stirred among the nobles. Not. A. Single. One.

Misa surveyed the crowds on both sides of the room, but the only types of looks she got back were those of revulsion loathing, of detest and despise. For Misa had lied to her own people, her own Kantoians, and there was no forgiveness for a liar in this kingdom; not one that had hurt her own step-brother, and her own flesh and blood, that being Mello; Misa had tried to destroy and mess with lives, and had kept vital information about L from the Prince…there were not any second chances there.

"I shall speak for her."

A calm voice had echoed out from the doorway of the throne room, the doors had been opened mutely, no one had paid them any heed.

It was none other than L…

Dressed in a black, button-up dress shirt, and a pair of black slacks, but neither shoes nor socks on his feet, he sashayed towards the thrones, smiling all the while. As he came down the aisle, the nobles on the sides of the room nodded, while some even bowed or curtsied in respect, for honor. Many of the men and women, and even some of the children, knew that this man was the lover of the royal prince, and a bow would be quite perfect and worthy for his entrance.

"…" Misa's hue changed to a deathly white, her once happy eyes were now full of dread, and trepidation; but the woman had to save face, so she only kept a firm grimace on her face, full of wrath, saturated with hatred.

L had finally reached the steps, and when he did so, Takada, out of reverence, or more likely, to hopefully ward off the oncoming punishment, curtsied when the raven was near. Misa nearly gawked at the action, but the woman realized she too was in a precarious situation, so she bent her head, muttering, "L…"

"I do not have much to say to you, but this. You tried to destroy all that I had, out of what motive, I do not know, but nor do I care. Perhaps jealousy? Anger? Wrath? Whatever the case, it does not matter. But know this…" Lawliet bent down close to Misa's face, and the man could not contain the minute smirk that had been pushing itself onto his face anymore, and L let it shine as he spoke, "For the rest of our lives, I shall never think of you again. Your pain, your voice, your face...all of it shall never permeate into my mind for the rest of our days. While you, I'm pretty certain, shall think of me every day while you are wasting your life away, in the dregs of this world. You will think of how I found love, you shall think of how I go about the rest of my days in pure happiness, in crystalline joy. I shall be thought of by you every single day, while I do not even pay you a miniature second of thought. So this is goodbye, Misa. Forever." L stepped back, turning his back to the blonde, to take his place in a seat near the thrones that had been set up for him, when Misa let out a scream,

"Get back here right NOW! We're not finished!"

"Oh?" The raven did not turn around, "I believe we are. Remember Misa, I do not have to do what you say anymore." L let out a tiny chuckle.

"You monster! You deserve NONE of this! I DO!"

"And why is that!?" This time, L did turn around, his ebony eyes had flared up in anger.

"…" And that was when the woman started to shed tears; L had, since he had been five months old, in nineteen years, never seen Misa shed a single tear, or at least over anything important, for shoes being sold out at Payless were not important. No, the last time the Misora woman had cried was when her own mother had died unexpectedly, "Mother always loved you best….ALWAYS!" She screeched, "Why YOU!? I was forgotten about for YOU!? WHY!?"

"…" L stayed silent, along with the other humans present, as the woman continued her rant.

"It's not fair! I used to be cared about by her, but once you showed up, it was all "L this" and "L that"! Why are you so important!? So you're smart, but Misa Misa's beautiful! You're a filthy MONGREL!"

Lawliet glanced at his lover, who had unleashed a snarl of hatred, and looked ready to lunge out of his throne at the woman, but L shook his head curtly, telling him not to make a move.

"I should have what YOU have! I have loved Raito for years, while you just started! I deserve him, not you! I don't deserve hatred, I deserve greatness, royalty, loyalty and love, since I never got any from Mother after you came…SINCE YOU TOOK IT AWAY FROM ME!"

Misa finally lost control, and charged at L out of rage, but the Prince acted quick as a jackrabbit, shouting, "GUARDS! Restrain her!" and two armed men shot out from the corners of the room, grabbing Misa by her arms, hauling her back away from the insomniac.

"…" L just shook his head, his expression had not changed an iota at the impromptu attack, and he stated calmly, "So out of pure jealousy, you wanted to destroy all of this. Pitiful."

The ditsy blonde with a princess complex let out a whine, and the guards brought her right back in front of the throne, while another guard, tall, lean, covered in shiny metal armor just like the other duo holding Misa, gripped Takada's arm roughly; Raito wasted no time in giving his next order, "You two women are to be shipped to Helek, where you will work as cleaning women and servants to one of the dirty wash houses…for the rest of your lives. No exceptions. If you try to break that rule, you shall be hanged. Understood?"

"NO!" Misa tried to fight the grip on the two men, struggling, but the tall, muscular guards just held her tighter.

"Alright, then, take them away." The brunette snarled, leaning back in his throne, glancing with sepia eyes at his father, who just nodded with a soft smile.

"NO! Not the wash houses! They wash filthy rags there day and night! And the food is terrible! SERVANTS!? NO!!" Misa yelled with sorrow and rage bubbling together in her voice, while Takada just kept her head bent in shame, full of embarrassment as she pondered why in God's name she ever chose this witch as her best friend.

The door leading out of the room shut with a bang once the girls had exited, the Misora woman's shouts still being heard for some moments more.

"…" L blinked as the realization of what had just occurred began to hit him

_She…She's gone…_

_Forever…_

_She'll never haunt me again…_

The raven let out a small whine of joy, his body shaking somewhat, a hand flying to his mouth as he almost cried out of bliss; before anything could be unleashed, strong arms wrapped around his body, and L leaned back into Raito's embrace, whispering, "Raito's she…she's gone.."

"Yeah, she is…"

And when L turned in the hug, so he was facing his lover, he tightly hugged him back, his eyes gazing up at the ceiling, who's center was made of colorful stain glass, shimmering rainbow colors on the white marble floor and the blood-red carpet that led up to the thrones. Tears of happiness fell from his eyes, and Lawliet even let out a small chuckle, in mental shock somewhat of how Misa would never bother him again, she was gone forever.

Light applause erupted from the standing crows of nobles, and even a wolf-whistle from Mello joined in the sweet, soft symphony, making L laugh even more.

That closed door and Misa exiting made the ominous weight on L's heart, that had been there since last night, be lifted for right now at least.

But only if L could know the weight was to come back…

But with crushing, powerful, and even deadly weight…

OOOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**Hours Later, Four Thirty P.M**

OOOooOOOooOooOOOoOOOoOOOOooOOOOOooOOooooOOoooooooooooOOOoO

After Misa and Takada's sentencing, Raito had invited L to stay in the throne room, for today was the day, when once every two weeks, when the royals handled any peasant or noble complaints, questions, ideas, or even tax, agricultural, or education issues. Soichiro took his leave, along with his wife and daughter, leaving Raito to handle the business with L by his side, the raven chipping his insightful opinions once and a while, whether the Prince asked for it or not.

It was four thirty when the men and women who needed to speak with the Prince had fully dispersed, all business handled, and the brunette leaned back in his throne with a sigh, L in the throne next to his on his left, crouching, his toes wiggling on the padded edge of the seat.

"I'm just glad I only have to do this once and a while, it can be tiresome…" spoke Raito, taking a drink of water from the glass located on the table that had been placed on his right.

"Indeed, but it is good practice for Raito when he takes the throne soon, yes?"

Raito shrugged, murmuring an agreeing reply as he set the glass back down.

It was then screams of dread could be heard loud and clear.

"Your Highness! Your Majesty! My Lord, WHERE ARE YOU?!" Pounding footsteps echoed closer as they made their way to the throne room. It took a moment for Raito to recall the voice to be Aizawa's, and then Ukita joined in the shouts, and finally, wheezing laughter that could belong to none other than Ryuk, came into hearing range.

The throne room's doors opened rapidly, and Aizawa ran in, panting, the shorter man and the lanky Goth on his tail, "R-Raito-sama, where is your father!? There's urgent news!"

"What is it Aizawa-san?" Raito jumped off his throne in a hurry, coming over to the man just as his father came through the doorway in a huff.

"Aizawa, I could hear you screaming all the way from the second floor! What is the meaning of this?!"

"The Royal Armory and Treasury was attacked! By the Yotsuba Nine! Or Eight! Or whatever they are, we just know it was them!"

L scurried off his seat at the mention of the criminal syndicate, eyes widened in fear as Raito spoke calmly, "Alright, what did they take?"

"T-Thousands of dollars, my Prince, much of it our own money, and Raito-sama's as well! And they took as many guns and swords as their sacks and arms could hold! They even took the sword your grandfather left to you in his will, Raito-sama. They also killed three of the guards on duty, Dimitri, Andi, and Marcellus, and the Nine…no, there was only eight Yotsuba criminals there, according to one of the men, overpowered the rest of the guards. Dammit, I knew I should have put more guards on duty today, but really, we've never suspected someone would try to rob the Royal Armory and Treasury for God's sake! There is good news, though, Sires."

"Well, out with it, Aizawa!" Soichiro thundered, rubbing his tired face with a wrinkled hand.

"We found their trail, or one of the other guards did. Samichi did; apparently, the Yotsuba men retreated into a hideout in the woods, and they didn't notice Samichi following them. There's a large shanty in the Hasegawa woods not far from here, we want your order to go after them." Aizawa stood up straighter, fixing his suit, "Ryuk said he knows that area well, that it would not be difficult to send men out there, what do you say?"

"I say-"

"I say send me." Raito interrupted, and his father gave him an incredulous look.

"E-Excuse me, Raito!? You are not-"

"Father…They have something that belongs to me, and you know I have other personal reasons that I should go after these men personally. And it will be good practice too; remember, in your younger days, you used to lead some of the troops into battle."

Soichiro sighed, nodding his head in agreement, "Indeed I did. But you still shall be taking soldiers with you."

"What?! You're letting your own son go after them!? By himself!?" Aizawa nearly screamed, while Ukita looked on silently with an amazed gaze. Ryuk just shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, he shall not be alone," L piped up, a small smile on his pallid face, "I shall be going with him."

"…" The five other men in the room where all silent, until Raito nodded, stating, "Indeed. L can, and should, come with me. So shall Matt, but Ryuk, I want you to stay here, as backup. Get fifteen men ready, we'll need many to take them down, understood?"

The lanky dark-clothes man nodded, his lone heart earring jingling, "Of course Your Highness…Fifteen men should be enough. Especially if we surprise them…Heheheh…"

"Alright then! What are all of you standing around for? Get ready!" Soichiro shouted, and all of them dispersed to prepare.

OoooOoOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**The Hasegawa Woods, Five Twenty P.M.**

OOOoOooOoOOooOoOoOoOOOooOOoOoOOoOOoOOOoOOOoOOoOOOOOOoo

Hooves of horses sounded out as the troops, fifteen exactly, pounded out of the castle, heading south to the woods, Raito, dressed in metal armor, but no helmet, led them, L by his side on his right, but the raven wore no protective gear whatsoever, only the clothes he had changed into: Jeans and a three-quarters length white-t-shirt. Matt, smoking a cigarette as he rode, he dressed in armor, rode on the young monarch's left.

Three policemen of a local village had joined the small army after Raito's men had passed through the village to get to the woods, their own brown horses whinnying loudly next to the white royal horses.

Aizawa had stated Samichi would be near the hideout, hiding in a bush, with a blue shoe hanging off a branch as a sign of his hiding hole; also, if any danger became present, all the royal brunette had to do was dial number five on his cell phone, Ryuk's speed-dial number, and the Gothic male would immediately send back up.

Minutes had passed, and eventually, Raito gave his men a signal to halt, for he had spotted the shoe. The Prince swiftly and delicately left his horse, to sneak over to the bush.

"Samichi?"

"…" No response whatsoever.

"Samichi, are you-AH!" Raito tried to keep quiet, but as he had pushed the bush back, he had discovered the corpse of Samichi, the man lying on his stomach, his head turned towards the side, green eyes glazed over with death staring Raito right in the face. A knife was sticking out of the young man's back, a giant letter B on the hilt of it. Snow-white hair, Samichi's, an odd coloring for one of twenty-three, but it was his genes' fault, really, was dotted with drops of blood.

"…Oh dear Lord…" Matt grimaced at the sight, shaking his head, "Raito, this is dangerous, maybe we should call for backup…"

"…No. We can't. Men!" Raito turned towards the fifteen royal guards, "If you would be so kind to enter first once we officially see the hideout?"

The head of the troop that the handsome man had brought with him saluted, saying "Of course, Raito-sama."

Less than five minutes later did the hideout come into view; it was a gigantic hybrid of a home, mansion, and even partly a warehouse. It was completely made of metal on the exterior, but had the style of a classical home, with a pointed roof, and even a chimney as well, the only part of the fortress made out of bricks. The place was wide, extremely large, with a metal spiked gate circling the outside of the home. The entrance door was gigantic as well; wide enough to let horses and many men pass through it. There looked to be about three floors in the place, perhaps four, if there was an attic.

"Alright, Go!" Raito whispered in an order, and the men complied, some sneaking off their horses, others staying on their steeds, and they softly paraded towards the home, while Matt, Raito, and L stayed behind them, hiding behind a set of trees.

When one of the men looked into a glass window on the outside, and mouthed the words, "They're asleep!" the head solider gave a cry, breaking down the door with his horse, his men following rapidly in.

Shouts of anger and screams of fear permeated the usually quiet forest, and clanking of swords and shrieks of agonizing pain went up into the air, making the Prince nervous.

Finally, after many excruciating moments, the head soldier, whose name had just returned to Raito, it being Tullien, came out, running a hand through his sandy-blonde hair. He nodded for Raito and the other pair to join them in the house.

The russet-locked royal complied, tying his, L's and Matt's horses to the nearby pine tree, stubs of branches jutting out enough so the reins could be tied.

"It was fairly easy to capture them, Sire. They tried to put up a fight, but their weapons weren't anywhere to be found, except for your late grandfather's sword, which Higuchi, Kyosuke Higuchi, the ringleader, was using. We've tied them up over there." Tullien spoke and pointed as he led Raito and the other men inside the hideout.

The main room was gigantic, about as big as the throne room back at the castle, and it was completely carpeted in black and red, but in a checkerboard pattern. There was a small set of stairs near the back of the room, and a large gigantic chair was seated right at the top. Curtains hung on the eastern and western walls, except for where two windows were, and giant golden ropes to pull the curtains with were hanging lazily on hooks. The ceiling was painted white, but red blotches of paint were dotted around haphazardly. The Yotsuba men were lined up near the steps, tied up with ropes (Tullien was famous for his knot-tying skills), their heads bent, fire and rage shining in their eyes.

"We would have killed you all! If we had not been ordered to put away our weapons and rest!" A long-haired midnight-locked man spat, and Tullien explained to Raito his name was Namikawa.

"And whose fault is THAT?!" A short blonde-haired one, named Hatori groaned.

"Well, it certainly wasn't MINE! HE ordered us, remember!? And we went along with it, and you know damn well WHY!" Higuchi screamed.

"SILENCE!" Raito shouted, and all of the men froze, and the Prince turned towards the head soldier, "Tullien, shall I call for Ryuk to bring the carts to take them back?" Carts were used to hold prisoners, for they had special chains locked to the floor of the carts, made of the strongest metal in Kisamari: a mixture of iron, brass, and even some diamonds had been added in for strength.

"Sounds like a good idea, Raito. Take L and Matt, go a little ways from here, and call him, just to be on the safe side." Tullien turned towards his men, "Eight of you leave, and return to the castle at once, understood? And you gentlemen, the police from the village of Nidari, you may leave as well. And my men, alert Aizawa and His Highness of our developments."

The men saluted, and eight left, running out of the fortress as rapidly as they could, the three policemen following. Seven remained, including Tullien, holding their swords in position, ready for battle just in case.

Raito nodded, taking L's hand and leading him out of the fortress, the red-headed gamer, his best friend, following.

"My, that almost seemed too simple, Raito…" L softly spoke as they untied the horses.

"Yeah…Something…" The Prince turned his gaze back to the fortress, "Something just doesn't sit right with me, but there's really nothing we can do for the moment. They just have to wait…but I'm worried about what Higuchi said…"

"That…'HE ordered us'?" Matt asked, "Yeah, I found that odd too…you think there's another person we missed?" He took out his cigarette, crushing it on the ground with the heel of his shoe.

"Possibly, but I'm sure Tullien ordered someone else to check the grounds. Let's just go, alright? I hate the woods when it's late in the evening. When twilight sets in, this place can scare the hell out of you."

Once the horses were freed, the trio rode a little away to a nearby hill, on the path they had started out on towards the fortress.

But before Raito could even call Ryuk…a sound reached his ears…

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" It was a heart-wrenching scream, and Raito recognized the voice immediately…Tullien.

"TULLIEN?!" The brunette shouted, all three men's eyes staring back into the deeper part of the woods, when another scream was unleashed, this voice sounded like one of the Yotsuba men….perhaps Higuchi.

"What's going on in there?!" Matt shouted, and Raito just stared into the woods as more screams of terror were unleashed; sensing his discomfort, L places a bony hand on his shoulder, whispering softly, "R-Raito…w-what do we do? What's going on?!" It was obvious L was just as shaken, and he was trying to hide it…but even yells of death can break down the toughest walls.

"…Matt! Go back, and warn Ryuk. Or get away from here as fast as possible, and call him, talk to him immediately! I'm going back there!"

"NO!" L shouted just as Raito hopped on his horse, the raven leaping up to grasp the older one's arm, "Raito cannot go back there! He does not have a clue as to what is happening!"

"L…They're my men! I can't just leave them behind! MATT, stop standing there, and GO!" Raito yelled at the red-head, scaring him, and the goggle-wearing man was hesitant to leave.

"Raito, are you sure-"

"GO! Someone has to go in there and look!"

Mail nodded heatedly, jumping on to his horse as fast as he could, and fled for help, be it by phone or going to get it himself.

"RAITO, NO!" L screamed, "You can't go back there! I won't let you!" The lithe man was still gripping Raito's arm strongly; one could not underestimate Lawliet's strength, even if he was bony and skinny.

"Then you're coming with me-"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Another scream pierced the dusk sky, and Raito gasped in horror as more followed; instantly, he grabbed L's shirt, and hauled him onto the horse, screaming, "LET'S GO!"

…

L had never ridden on a horse this fast; Raito was leading his stallion through brush and trees back the way they had just come, the world whizzing by his ebony eyes dizzyingly.

Thankfully, the ride was short due to the speed, and Raito stopped right in front of the hideout, and came to find the door wide open, the duo hopped off the horse as fast as they could, Raito's hand on the hilt of the sword he had brought just in case, and once the men made it inside the doorway…

Lawliet nearly vomited at the sight…

Fifteen dead bodies were spread out all over the main room, Tullien and his men, and the Yotsuba Eight. Blood flowed everywhere, and when L examined the bodies closer, he noticed each soldier was missing at least one eye; some had both missing, one of them being Tullien. The eyes were sprawled out on the steps haphazardly, like marbles, and L felt sick to his stomach at the sight. Stab wounds in their heads were bleeding profusely, and there were some side stab wounds on the soldiers, where the armor was loose and did not fit well enough, and Raito even noticed some of the armor's straps had been sneakily cut, so a knife could penetrate skin easier.

The Yotsuba men were no better off, their bodies freed from their rope prisons, but their bodies had been mangled in a matter of minutes. Raito saw the ones called Namikawa and Midou had their eyes cut out as well, along with their ring fingers. The men Ooi and Takahashi had their heads cut with various slashes, but their noses were slashed off and when L glanced to his left, near one of the curtains on the wall, he spotted them. Shimura and Kida's skin on their arms was, and some of it on their faces, was slashed completely off, and their fingers were cut off, all except their thumbs. Hatori's body was mangled, missing a left arm and leg. Finally, Higuchi's was the most tortured; blood seeped from his body like a fountain, pooling everywhere all around him. The corpse was located at the top of the steps, and L had to turn away from the sight, it was so stomach-churning. Whoever had killed the man had moved quickly, for Higuchi's chest was cut wide open, and when the Prince and his lover stepped closer, they noticed intestines, a stomach, bones, and kidneys spread out around the body, but other organs were missing as well…

And Raito found one of them when he glanced up, pointing, L following the gaze.

It was dark in the far back of the room, shadows casting evil waves around the place, but one thing clearly could be seen…

A red, real heart, being held up by a bony hand…

A head could be made out as well, it tilting to the side; and the hand that belonged to that head moved the heart a little bit more as it held the organ up victoriously, so a few drops of blood dripped down…

As a pink tongue came out to lick them up, a murmur of pleasure escaping the hidden figure…But not a moment later, after sucking up a few more drops of fallen blood, the hand threw the heart against the nearest wall hard, the organ making a squish sound as it hit the surface.

"Ahh…Your Highness, I was expecting you. Right on time." A calm, debonair voice pierced the air, the tone cold, dark…deathly.

Raito was frozen in fear as the figure turned more towards them, and from what Raito could tell, the man's eyes were not open. "W-Who are you?" The royal stuttered very much not like a knight in shining armor.

"Oh, that does not need to be told right now….perhaps in a few minutes. Don't you find my work lovely, dear Prince…and…Lawli?"

Instantaneously, the man's eyes flashed open, revealing pure, blood-red orbs, and L's dream from the previous night flashed in his mind, and he screamed, falling back onto the ground with fear.

"Aww…Lawli, is that the way to great an old friend?" The man's voice had taken on a pitiful tone, and the figure began to step closer, and eventually came down the steps, where light shone on him…

And it was Raito's turn to scream in horror at the figure…

The man looked just like his Lawliet…

Pale skin, pallid lips, raven hair in the exact same shape, texture and color; even his attire was the same, except this man's shirt was black as the night sky, and his blue jeans, though they be faded, were spotted and covered in blood. And the man's eyes were different, they were pure red irises, with black pupils.

"You scream at me too, Raito-sama? Really now, am I that scary? Well…" The man looked around, and started chuckling, "I suppose I am! KYAHAHAHA!"

"W-Who are YOU!?" Raito screamed, helping his raven up, holding his arm tightly, his body close.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Really, Raito-sama, do you think you can get everything you want by ordering people around?" The man asked and then turned his gaze, locking it with L's, "Lawli is trying to recognize me...I bet my voice sounds familiar to you, doesn't it?"

All L could do was stare at the other man, who looked to be a near-perfect copy of himself, and the raven muttered, "Yes…"

"TELL US NOW!" Raito screamed, unsheathing his sword, holding it close to himself and L, "OR I WILL-"

"FINE!" The man shouted, rolling his eyes, "You royals, you think you know all. My name is Beyond Birthday…please, just call me Beyond. You probably know of my recent work, but that is not important right now…what is important is how I know dear little Lawliet, right?"

"…" The duo facing Beyond spoke not a word, just continued to stare at the blood-covered man.

"Well, Lawliet…I am your betrothed."

OOooOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A/N: OH DANG XD How many of you were expecting THAT?

Hopefully you all got a good surprise (or surprises ;D) out of this chapter, and it was LONG, but I loved writing it, it was so much fun.

Next up: Lucky chapter number thirteen, and you'll find out much more information!

Until then, thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed it, and leave a comment if you wish! ^^ Talk to you all soon!


	13. Beyond Birthday's Bloody Ballad

A/N: Well, I decided to give this a quick update, since we have only one more chapter after this, and then an epilogue to wrap everything up! It's been a long and fun run, and let's end it right! With a few more surprises and action in store for you all! Thanks so much for all of the reviews and favs, and for sticking around until the end. ^^ Enjoy, B's about to tell all, in lucky (or unlucky?) chapter 13.

_OoOOOoOOooOOOOOoOOooooOoOoOOOOoOOOOOOOOO_

_Obsessed by a fairy tale, we spend our lives  
Searching for a magic door and a lost kingdom of peace._

_- Eugene O'Neill_

_OoOOOOOOOooOoooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooOOOOooO_

All that could be heard in the silence was the dropping of Raito's sword, falling from his muscular hand in shock, and the living trio's breathing.

L just remained staring at Beyond, something inside his mind stirring, and he squinted, trying to decipher if the man was telling the truth; Lawliet shook his head a moment later, stating, "NO. Impossible, I don't even remember you."

"...Why would I lie about being engaged to you, Lawliet? What would I get out of that?" B spoke calmly, a hand reaching into his pocket to pull out something. It turned out to be a photograph, and the killer threw it onto the floor, it landing perfectly at L's feet, "Even that doesn't look familiar to you, does it? I don't expect it to, you were only three months old at the time, and it was right before everything...changed."

The raven picked up the picture, and openly gaped when he saw the subject of it…

It was himself, as a babe, crawling on the floor, with wide eyes, feathery hair, and his hands were bony and small, like that of a youngling; right next to him was a red-eyed child, holding L's hands, giving a small smile, those ruby orbs glimmering with joy, so much unlike their current counterpart, whose eyes were full of sadness and regret, and even jealously and anger.

"…"

"L?" Raito whispered, glancing at his lover, who just continued to stare at the picture, ashen lips trembling.

"…He is speaking the truth…" Lawliet murmured softly, his gaze locking with B's when he glanced up, "But…who are you? Beyond-"

"I suppose I should explain everything…" Out of nervousness, Beyond began playing with his knife, the one with the red roses in the hilt, "I am exactly twenty-four years old, Lawliet, about five to five and a half years older than you. I was born into a prestigious family, in Kanto. Their last name isn't Birthday, it is Bemantix. I chose Birthday as my own name, after…" The killer paused, letting out a sigh, "No, I'm getting ahead of myself. And that is far from fair to you, my precious Lawli-chan."

"D-Don't call me that…" L shook his head out of fear, "N-Now explain yourself!" The raven ordered, and B just nodded,

"Of course, Lawli." Beyond bent down, and picked up Higuchi's corpse, and flung it to the side so he could sit down on the steps, giving Lawliet a hard stare, "Before you and I were even born, Lawliet, we were going to be arraigned in marriage. Your family, the Lawliets, had made a deal with mine, the Bemantixes. You see, your father was quite a powerful man in his younger days, but not fully powerful yet. He had some rank, a decent one, and a good amount of money, but Takumi had not acquired everything just yet, and so his plot of land was not...well, it was not great. Not too small, but he certainly could have done better. And that…" B picked up an eyeball, one of the soldiers', and bounced it in his hand, like a child's ball, "Is the reason why they contacted my parents." The eyeball, with veins, cornea, and blue iris and all, was flung against the left walls, it hitting the one of the plush curtains.

"You see, the Lawliets needed at least a little something…"big", I guess is the way to put it, for them to gather some royal attention. Do you really think Soichiro would have just listened to anyone, even if Takumi had been a long-time friend for some time, and had the highest intelligence of all in Kisamari? **I** do, yes, actually, now that I think of it, but Takumi did not see it as that. He felt he needed to prove himself; that he needed to have some "high noble quality" about him so he could speak to the King. And that is where my parents came in."

B continued to sit on the steps, stretching out his legs, letting out a relaxing sigh, "The Bemantixes had a massive plot of land right in Kanto, and when they spoke with the Lawliets, they agreed to offer the plot of land, your old home, which was already built on the land, to them, on one condition."

"...And that was…" L spoke softly, nodding his head towards the killer, who just laughed,

"Indeed, it was me. The condition was the Lawliets' first born son or daughter would become my husband or wife, that he or she would be betrothed to me. At this time, your mother was already…mm, I think it was three, four months pregnant. A doctor had already seen her, and I was already five at that time, I had just turned it. You see, Lawli-chan, my parents did not think that I would ever find a mate, due to…well…" The jam-lover just pointed at his eyes, grinning like a maniac, "These."

"...Your eyes?!" Raito spat, "Please, so they're red, what does that have to do with-AH!!"

Beyond had shut up Raito immediately, grabbing a spare knife from his other pocket, a switchblade, with a blue hilt, and flung it at the Prince, the blade zooming past his ear by millimeters.

"His Highness should remain silent," B commented as the knife sunk into the opposite wall, near the door, "Or next time, I won't miss."

"…" Fear was etched onto every patch of skin on the brunette's face, and with that in mind, B continued:

"You see, my eyes are special. Not just because of the red color...but I see interesting things, but I'll tell you that later, Lawliet. It's not necessary right now. Anyway, you two will let me continue now?"

The other men just nodded, ebony eyes belonging to Lawliet glancing at the prone, statue-esque corpses surrounding him and the brunette.

"Good. So, about six months later, your mother gave birth to you, L Lawliet, right on schedule, October thirty-first. Ah, Halloween. When I heard that was to be your hypothesized birthday, I lit up with joy, it just seemed so magical to me. And I remember the first time I saw you on your birthday. You were born at home, traditionally, with the aid of a midwife, and you were such an adorable child. You already had a good amount of your dark locks, and your gray-black eyes captivated me…" B trailed off wistfully, smiling while he recalled the fond memory. "From that moment on...I knew I would have you as my own. Always."

"…" It was about this time L wished he himself had brought along a weapon, something, but all he had chosen were his own hands and feet, his mastery at martial arts his weaponry of choice.

"We had lots of fun times during those early months, Lawliet. Our parents brought us together quite often, at least every other day; and as each hour passed, I grew to like you more and more, even though I was only over five and a half years old at this point. But there was something so magnetic about you; your eyes always shined with happiness and curiosity, and in such an adorable fashion. Heh…Perhaps it was love…Can a young child feel love like that for another, younger babe? Did I want to kiss you like I do now, no, of course not. But I knew I was feeling a deep form of…compassion at least…maybe love…for you as the days and months went on. Or maybe…" Beyond picked up a finger, twiddling and swinging it around in his grip, that scarily mocked L's own, "I was completely obsessed AND enamored with you…For you see…it was my own emotions that caused my…and your parents' own downfall…" That eerie smirk sent chills down the raven's spine, and Lawliet felt himself subconsciously taking closer steps to Raito.

"I was a smart child, L, and so were you. As the days went on, as we read, played, laughed, and hugged, oh, I did love our hugging moments, I soon began to have constant thoughts of you, dreams of you…dreams of our bright, beautiful future together, the future that my parents had promised me. For you see, I had always been alone as a young kid. I never had any friends, they were all scared of me; I myself feel that that was due to not only my violent tendencies, but also because of words I had previously stated…along with my red eyes. For blood-colored orbs can scare a person, L, they can scare them to the core…one can say that they may even have nightmares of them."

"I…I can see people saying that yes." The raven facing Beyond murmured under his breath, recalling how he had dreamed of red eyes just a night ago.

"As you continued to be the only thing I thought about, I did things…that my parents were surprised about." A bloody hand came up to touch black strands of hair, and B stated further, "I dyed my hair black, just like yours, and even found the perfect gel to make it into your natural style. Your clothes, at the time, were small sets of long-sleeved, preferable three-quarters length, shirts, in the color white, with denim jeans, slightly faded; in time, I acquired the same clothes, and dressed myself just like you. I even went out of my way to gain some of the unique mannerisms you had developed at an early age, such as the way you sat, picked things up, and all of those sweets you ate. Finally, I realized you had insomnia as well, your mother talked of it greatly, how you rarely slept at all, and I found the perfect eyeliner, the darkest black, to put under my eyes; I also used creams and powders to make my skin the same white, ghost and phantasmal sheen it is. But...your parents were not fond of this course of action, Lawliet." B snarled, and one could taste the hatred he spat from his smooth, menacing voice.

"I continued to tell them that doing all of that made me feel closer to you, and you certainly did not seem to mind at all! You were happy as ever; in fact, you tugged on my hair even more playfully at this point, giggling as I would pout at the move. You even began hugging me more, and I…I know you would give me kisses, Lawli. Just tiny pecks on the cheek, but I could feel them. You may not even had known what you were doing, but you did so. Unfortunately, our fun was not to last…all thanks to Takumi and Lisette…For you see, they spoke to my parents, stating in horror that the Bemantixes' son had become obsessed in a manic way with their own son, AND that the deal was officially off if said Bemantixes' son did not change his ways! And do you want to guess what happened next L…? DO you?!"

"…Your parents agreed."

"EXACTLY!" B screamed at the top of his lungs, "MY parents turned their back on me! They agreed with those damned parents of yours L! They separated us permanently, breaking their promise!" A wail of agony escaped B's throat, but then it turned into an ominous growl, "We moved…out of Kanto. They figured I would sneak back into your house at nights like I used to do, or something worse. But...I swore revenge. On my parents and yours! For they BOTH broke the promise that you would be mine forever! That we would be wed in bliss by the age of seventeen! That we would have our blossoming friendship turn into LOVE! They destroyed it ALL!"

"…M-My parents…" Lawliet whispered, and his mind assumed the worst had occurred, "N-No…you…you did not-"

"Oh. Yes, I did." B's grin was of pure evil and debauchery, pure sin and Hell, "I did kill your parents. And I will tell you how it occurred."

And with those words, L found his whole soul and will snap, and he roared, charging at Beyond, "YOU BASTARD! WHY?!"; Thankfully, Raito had come out of the stupor B's words had put him in, and grabbed his lover, holding him back, trying to calm him as L screamed more profanity, tears leaking out of his coal-hued orbs, "WHY?" He screeched in a soft, teary, and heartbroken voice, "I-If you really loved me…love me...why did you DO IT?"

"Simple, L. I love you, not them. And they were in the way. But I'm getting ahead of myself, and please don't cry. It breaks my heart to see you cry." The killer let out a morbid sigh, continuing with, "Well, it was about a month later, you were five months old now, I had just turned six, and when that time came, I decided to run away from home. I could not plot any plans while in the home of an enemy of mine, for yes, my parents were my enemies, Lawliet. And as I wandered through the forests, Lady Luck and Fortune had just decided to grant me a favor and be on my side…because I stumbled upon the Yotsuba Eight's small hideout in the woods. It was not this one, no, I had this one built; their old shack made of crap had nothing on this beautiful home. And you must remember of my intelligence, for I bet you assume that if those men had spotted a child that had snuck into their hideout, they would have had he or she killed on the spot, yes? Come on L, I bet you agree with that, right?"

L spoke not a word, his knees shaking, tears still coming out of his sorrowful eyes; the realization that his mother and father's killer was standing before him hitting him like a boulder to the chest.

"Well, being the genius I was, when the men approached me, I told them how fast of a runner I was, how strong and genius a child I was, and I gave them an ultimatum. I knew the odds were against me that they would agree, I was only six, and one person, where there were eight of them, but I did state this: If you let me live, and join your group, AS official leader, I would not only teach them my own tricks of hatred, that I had picked up from much reading, and small, minute experimentation, I would find the best ways for them to stay under cover, give them the most money, and other criminal necessities. If they decided to come after me, and kill me, I was sure to outrun them, and I would report their hideout to the nearest town. Of course, their leader, Higuchi, was not completely sure of my running ability, along with my strength, but after a practice race, and after I beat up one of his cronies, Kida was his name; it was assured that I was indeed an opponent to fear. And frankly, dear Lawli, those men were stupid. I'm sure they could have overpowered me if they had gotten lucky; then again, maybe not? Who is to really say? Well, afterward, after I had even told them some killing techniques I had learned from some wonderful novels and history books I had acquired, they accepted me as their leader, I stating I would never sell them out, tell any soul of their hideout, though, you probably have heard the term 'Yotsuba Nine'? That is due to many people stating they saw a ninth person riding along with the other eight when crimes were committed, and yes, that was me. I did not ride out with them at every job, but some I did, just to have that thrill of the kill, the thrill of the robbery, the power one can have over another life, the ecstasy that courses through one's veins when those things happen…it can be called orgasmic, Lawli."

"…So that is how you and the Yotsuba men are connected…" Raito stated softly, then spat louder, "Slime with slime, it only makes sense." A graceful sneer on the Prince's face, and B just laughed,

"Slime, Your Highness? SLIME for wanting what I wanted, what I had been promised? No, that is called slime. Slime is what you are…I know what you did to poor Lawliet at that masque," Beyond clicked his tongue, shaking his head in shame, "Really, and you still say you are the one who should be with L?"

Raito looked about ready to jump on top of the copy of L, and strangle him, but the real raven held his lover back tightly, shaking his head as B continued,

"Well, I am getting ahead of myself again, aren't I? It must be because I am so proud of my former accomplishments…Anyway, the Yotsuba Eight became the Yotsuba Nine, and our first job was decided by yours truly: Take out the famous Lawliets and make it look like an accident, BUT you were to be spared. No questions, you were to be left uninjured, and I knew you would be. For you see…you shall not believe me, but with these eyes…I can see the life spans of all in this world, except myself. I can see how long one is to live."

"…WHAT?!" Raito bellowed, "You're INSANE! No one has that power, you are speaking as if this is some damn fairy tale from a strange book!"

But L spoke nothing, his eyes widening, his mouth falling open a tiny bit…

As something stored away long ago in his mind came to the surface…

Like a black and white movie…

_"Lawli…" It was B's voice, but kinder, gentler, and the young child was holding L, "C-Can you keep a secret?"_

_"Goo! Y-Y…Yes!"_

_"…I see death…I am a cursed being, Lawli…I can see when everyone on this planet is to die…even you…"_

_"Heheee! B's…s-s-silly!" The baby Lawliet laughed, and B only gave a smile, shaking his head, murmuring,_

_"At least you shall never think of me as a freak…"_

_Then a tall woman, with long black hair, L's mother, appeared in the background, scowling, her lanky arms crossed as she watched B place a small kiss on the babe's forehead…_

And then the memory ended, L wincing internally…

_H-How…How do I remember that…_

_And…what else is really stored in my mind…?_

"…What is the matter, L? Something…memorable surfacing in your mind?" The killer's smirk was eerie, and Lawliet felt a shiver go up his spine as B continued,

"You do not have to believe me, you can if you wish, but I digress, I shall tell you what I did exactly; for starters, I cannot kill someone unless their life span is correct and coincides with what I plan to do. For example…" B continued to hold his favorite knife with the roses, and caressed it gently, some blood still splattered on the blade, "I could trick a person into falling into a trap of mine, thus lowering their lifespan, and then I make my attack. Or I can alter their lives to suit my needs, and that too can lower their lifespan, if done correctly. And anyone I meet whose lifespan is counting down to zero quite rapidly can mean too things: One, I myself am meant to kill them, destined to, or I can alter it just a tiny bit and with this, I result as being the killer. And that was sort of the way I went when taking out your parents, for Takumi and Lisette Lawliet were not fated to die on that cold February day, but I made it so. First, the Yotsuba men and I left threatening messages, telling them to "give up the child", "flee or die", "You betrayed the B", "All Shall Change on February 13th", and various others; these messages were splattered with jam or blood, blood I had collected in jars was of great use to me in those days, or even just notes left on the walls, doors, or tied to bricks and thrown through their windows. And that was the beginning of the end for your parents…for their life spans had already begun to change…while yours did not, for I knew what your parents would do…They were unselfish beings, they would make sure you were safe….And I was correct, was I not?"

"…Yes…" It was all L could say, but B wasted no time in waiting for a further response,

"Yes, they gave you to Mary Kenwood on February thirteenth, didn't they? And that was when the Yotsuba men and I made our move. We snuck in softly, through the back door of your old home, and there were Takumi and Lisette, in the living room, as if they had expected us. I remember I asked them why they had not run, and your father just stated "I shall defend this home, my wife, and my son, with my life"; I, of course, laughed at his chivalry and nobility, all the while, your mother just stood their staring at me, shocked to see that **I** had constructed this plan…And I am sure you shall not find comfort in the fact that I was the last thing your mother ever saw…" That damned grin deepened, a satanical chuckle escaping Beyond's lips, "For I and the quickest Yotsuba men attacked your parents, tackling them to the ground, and knocked them out with a special rag of gas and liquid that I myself, along with the great Midou and Namikawa, had invented. It puts the victim into a deep slumber, and depending on the amount of poisonous gas and liquid made into the rag, the person can just be knocked out for hours…or eternity. For your parents, I chose the latter. I'll say, Takumi put up quite a fight, kicking many of the men off, even wounding stupid Hatori with a knife, but by that time, I had already taken away your mother's life and soul, and I myself was able to knock out your father, after kicking him in the head, making him collapse to the ground. And once that task was completed…we burnt that place to ashes. Of course, we had to make it seem like an accident, so Kida of Yotsuba messed with some of the wiring to make it look like it had been an electrical fire, but it was us instead who set that pretty perfect house ablaze; all the while, your parents slowly faded away due to the poisons the two of them had inhaled, the smoke from the blazing flames also scarring their lungs, making it seem that their death had been due to that, for I had made it so that the poisons were to be invisible to any suspicious coroner's eyes. Along with the fact that the Yotsuba men had intimidated the Kanto police with words, and just our presence, the police "dropped" the case and "got rid of" any suspicions they may or may not have had. And just as I planned, you were safe, in the arms of that blonde woman named Mary, and I followed swiftly behind her, and I soon spotted that you were taken in by Naomi Misora. But…I knew I would have to kill both of them too."

"…W-What?" Lawliet went even paler, if that was even possible, and stuttered out, "No, you could not have-"

"Mary was easy to get rid of, and it was necessary, for she was quite suspicious, but I guess that was her nature. Rumor was she had important ambassador and spy duties for Soichiro; two days after you were given to Naomi Misora, I found Miss Kenwood's home, and I took her out myself, it was quite easy. A quick stab to the heart, after sneaking up behind her, I made Namikawa pose as a distracting salesman at the front door, myself making a move from the back, and whoosh, she was gone! I could not have her finding out anything, and I also knew she had talked to your parents about my dear Lawli not being allowed near me. And then came Naomi-No…" B stopped, "No, I got rid of my parents first…"

"WHAT?!" L screamed in disgust, "You murdered your own PARENTS?! All because they broke off our betrothal!?"

"…Of course. Is there not a better reason-?"

"NO!" Lawliet snarled, "You HAD parents that LOVED you, you could have gone back to them, explained everything, and-"

"Love…? LOVE?!" B yelled, "They NEVER loved me, L! My mother thought she had given birth to a monster! At least you had parents that loved you, even though their stupid actions sealed their own fate!"

"YOU are the own who sealed their fate, Beyond Birthday, not themselves! Because of your selfish attitude and-"

"SILENCE! You shall never understand what I went through, Lawli! Thought of as a monster, and then having the one person who may actually come to LOVE you taken away from you! Do you KNOW what that is LIKE!? YES, I heard you were turned into a servant recently, due to that FIASCO at the ball, but at least you had a HOME! With at least one loving person, right?! I had NONE! Nothing! So YES, I killed them, I killed my own parents, guns are such WONDERFUL tools to use, it was easy to take them out. Higuchi held them down, and I pulled the trigger as they screamed in pain, but no one was to help them. No one was around to hear their screams as they bled to death on their own bedroom floor! And then, then came the cutting of their arms-"

"STOP!" L hollered, "D-Don't say anymore!" The raven buries his face in Raito's shoulder, the royal holding his lover tight, glaring at B with pure anger and hatred, the copy stating,

"Oh? Then would you like to hear how I got rid of your precious Naomi? It was quite simple really; she had a garden, yes? And attended it often? Well, it was easy to plant a concoction I had created, a mixture of carbonic acid, a few radioactive elements, and some poison ivy, on her plants, garden gloves, and other tools; but, I did not want to hurt you, or your step-siblings, so I only dripped the poison on Naomi's special roses, the ones I heard only she herself could tend to, is that correct? Along with only HER tools."

"…S-So that is why…the roses died after she did…"

"YES! I poured the poison onto her plants, and at the slightest touch, the liquid is absorbed into the skin, but the poison, when not in the bloodstream, has a short life, and eventually dies away. But only a few touches, in three days, and Miss Misora had come down with a cold, am I correct? There was also the fact that I had dripped the poison onto her special gloves and tools, so even more poison had seeped into her. I also knew the woman had a weak immune system, for as I, and Shimura, the perfect spy from Yotsuba, watched her, we observed much coughing and wheezing. So it only made sense that Naomi was to die by a…"cold". When it was actually a deadly, incurable poison that only made the victims look like they had died from a cold, or pneumonia, or etcetera."

"…No…N-Naomi…W-Why her…? W-What did she do to you!?"

"She confided with the Lawliets too, about my removal from the perfect pretty picture, L. And she had to suffer a punishment."

"…" L's breathing was ragged as his mind took in the situation, stating after a moment of silence, "Her death…was part of the reason I was turned into a servant!"

"…I see."

"My step-sister BLAMED me for that and yes, her jealousy was the bigger part of the meaning behind her actions, but so was Naomi's DEATH!!"

"…Well, you are still alive, are you not L? Isn't that what matters?" B asked with such a sweet and innocent tone, it made Raito and L's stomachs churn; how the man could switch from homicidal maniac to sweet innocent Beyond Birthday was just appalling.

"That is not the point, Beyond!" L shouted, "You killed anyone who was like a family to me! WHY!?"

"…Did you not hear me, L? They were all in my way, they all had to be taken care of. And I'll say the same for anyone else that stands in my way now…They will either move, or I'll take them out personally." B snarled like an animal, his fists clenching as if he was to pounce on the young royal or L at that moment.

"Oh?!" Raito spoke up, "And how will you do that!? If I seem to recall you just killed off your entire troop of Yotsuba men, so how will you fight anyone now?"

"…Kyahaha! Very good, Your Highness, you do have a nice little point there, I'll give you that one. Yes, I did kill them all off, but that was because I did not need them anymore. You see, my goal here was not just to kill off anyone who stood in my way to get to L, but also to get L. Lure Lawliet out of wherever he was. After Naomi died, I did realize I probably could have just barged into your home, L, and taken you, but that could have been reported by those other two brats, your step-siblings. Maybe not that dumb girl, but I know, with one-hundred percent knowledge, that Mello would have done anything to protect you, and I know he would have gone to great lengths to report that you had been stolen. Then, I thought, I could kill the two of them, and kidnap you, but that would have caused a publicity nightmare; two dead children found in a house, and the other one stolen? I would have been found out instantly. So, all I could do was wait, wait for you to show yourself once more to me. Granted, I had fun while doing so; I killed, robbed, stole things, worked with the Yotsuba men, many things. And soon enough…I had decided to start leaving that message for you. I was impatient, and when I glanced at the Yotsuba men's life spans, I knew it was time to move. For I planned to kill them once I found you, I would not need them anymore after that. Heh...They all actually thought I cared about them, how sad; that I would be their leader for the rest of time, how pitiful."

"You just used them to get what you wanted, that is sickening; sure, they were criminals, but you just…you just used them!" Raito shouted, and B let out a cackle, shaking his head,

"It is sad that YOU are telling me about using people, Raito-sama. I'm sure you have used people in your days, have you not?"

"…" The brunette said nothing, only sending a glare Beyond's way, who shrugged it off as if the look was just a gnat, an annoying pest.

"Well, that is the end of my tale, Lawliet. That is everything that has led up to this moment; I lured you here with the help of Higuchi and these other slim-infested souls, and here you are, back to be mine…ah, it's just like a happy little fairy tale, isn't it? A sweet Cinderella story…"

"…I shall never be yours." L growled out, wrath-filled charcoal orbs locked onto B's ruby ones, "One, I do not love you, and I never shall And two, after hearing it was **you** who killed my parents, my step-mother, and our family friend Mary Kenwood, I do not want to have anything to do with you. **You** are the slime here, not these men. So I suggest you give up on this futile plan to have me, you obsessed maniac."

"…" B was silent, but he pouted deeply, and let out a languid sigh, "Oh, Lawli, Lawli, Lawli…I am just afraid I cannot do that. I have waited for you for over fifteen, nearly twenty, years, and now you are saying that I cannot have you? I think you are mistaken."

"Should it not be my choice!? Should I not be able to choose whom I love?!" L screamed, B only replying with the loudest laugh yet.

"Silly Lawli…You don't have a choice in this. You belong…to me. And you may not remember how happy you were with me nineteen years ago…almost two decades ago…but I do. And I want that happiness back, it has been the only pure happiness I ever had! And nothing is going to stand in my way of getting it, I shall assure of you that right now."

Raito had had enough of the psychotic man, and protectively stood in front of his pallid lover, "If you think I am going to let you take him after all of that, then YOU are sadly mistaken."

"…Step aside Your Highness." Beyond spoke in a monotonous tone, "Or I shall not be able to control my actions."

"Go on, try! Try to take him from me, you'll get a fight!"

"…" B stated nothing, but he completely stepped down the blood-coated steps near his armchair.

…Moments later, and months later, Raito would have many regrets…

He would regret not thinking clear enough to pick up the sword he had dropped…

He would regret not pulling L away, out of the hideout, and then running for safety…

He would regret even challenging this Beyond "Birthday"…

For B was a fast mover, a fast runner, and before Lawliet could even scream, B had run to Raito with fast speed, his knife in hand, slashing the Prince's arm, the Yagami screaming in pain as blood already began to seep through his shirt due to the cut.

Raito did not remember when he fell upon the ground in agony, hearing L's screams, as if they were distant melodies of terror; he could only hope that cut was not deep enough to kill.

Sepia eyes were distant and hazed, the surprise of the attack still reeling in the genius' head…But a blur of white, blue, and black falling to the ground caught his eye…L collapsed onto the ground, and all Raito could do was let out a wheezy, "L-L!"

Beyond was in his vision next, a menacing smile tugging on his blood-coated lips, his deep voice whispering,

"I told you he would be mine…I told you not to interfere and just let him go…So why don't you just rest for awhile? That's what he is doing…"

A cloth with a strong, pungent, and yet sweet, odor appeared in Raito's line of sight, tightly gripped in B's hand, and then was flung across the pink lips and handsome nose of the prince, whom tried to wiggle and squirm out of the killer's grasp, but to no avail; the pain in Raito's bleeding arm was too much, the sparks of hurt danced through his body like tango partners.

The world was beginning to blur and darken, Sleep ghosting into his brain, whispering over and over "Close your eyes, close your eyes"; Raito tried to catch a glance at Lawliet, and spotted the raven lying on the ground like Sleeping Beauty, a calm expression on his unconscious face.

_L-L…L…_

_F-Fight, Raito…s-stop him…_

_F-For L…_

_L…_

But the mantra was futile, and strength was just as fleeting as a lover's kiss, and Raito's eyes shut, locked on the prone body of L, hoping to burn the image into his mind…

Just in case he was never to awaken again…

He would have one last beautiful sight…

…

B stepped back, observing his work, and smiled joyously. Everything had gone exactly as planned, perfect to a T.

"Now…where did I put those ropes?"

OoOOooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A/N: So! There's B's side of the story for you, and yes, I sort of ended it on another cliffhanger, and yes, it is a little bit shorter, but I DID need to break off the story here xD Just for the full effect!

There's one more chapter left, and everything will come to a close, and then an epilogue to tie everything up…and unwind some new, interesting threads that lead into the sequel! : D

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thank Jesus-of-Suburbia-2o2o, she is an amazing lady ^-^

Coincidentally, this chapter had 13 pages on Word…interesting…. ;D

I'll see you all at the next chapter, leave a review if you wish, and thanks for reading! : D


	14. The Past Meets the Present And Future

A/N: Welcome back to the final chapter of the Fairy Tale! ^^ Yes, we're finally at the end. There IS an epilogue, so stick around for that; it won't be extremely long, or extremely short, sort of in the middle, but…well; you'll see what I mean XD

Enjoy, our tale is wrapping up, and everything…well, mostly everything, shall be falling into place! ;D And soon our sequel will come to be: The Deathly Sleep and Hearts and the Deadly Magic!

This chapter is dedicated, and as a special surprise, for one of my best friends Kate. ^^ Love you dear, and I hope you enjoy this.

_OoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooOOOOoooOoOOOOOooO_

_For those who immerse themselves in what the fairy tale has to communicate, it becomes a deep, quiet pool_

_ which at first seems to reflect only our own image; _

_but behind it we soon discover the inner turmoils of our soul -_

_ its depth, and ways to gain peace within ourselves and with the world, which is the reward of our struggles…_

_- __Bruno Bettelheim, __The Uses of Enchantment_

_OoOOOoOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooOOoOOOooO_

There were voices…yelling voices…screaming voices…terrified voices…

The man wanted to move those lightly tan, strong arms, but found himself unable to; sepia eyes could barely keep open, for Raito found his strength fleeting.

It seemed almost magical that those tired orbs could stay open, open at all, but they did so, blurry vision wrapping itself around the Prince's mind.

…Those voices…they were getting louder…louder with each word that Raito's worn ears could not distinguish from one another…

Raito was finally able to tell that he was tied up, with strong powerful ropes, to a thick oak tree at the edge of the forest. Arms behind him, unmovable save his hands, and his legs completely immobile, the young man was not going anyway. The monstrous foliage, his caged prison, stretched high into the sky, the young man lifting his head up to see the sun shining down through red-golden leaves. Pine trees, other oaks, and firs sprouted just as tall nearby, the forest, a place that would usually exemplify calmness, serenity, only gave off vibes of disunity and horror and chaos. It was as if Hades himself, and Maleficent and the Evil Queen from Snow White had taken over the forest.

The arm cut by Beyond Birthday was, surprisingly, bandaged up, to Raito's amazement; but the brunette did not need to ponder why, for he knew the answer:

Beyond was keeping him alive to finish off the kill later.

But L...Lawliet…where was that raven of Raito's?

The screams continued, and after a loud shriek, Raito was able to recognize one distinct voice:

"I SAID GET AWAY…!!"

L...L…HIS L!

"LAW-" Raito was about to shout his lover's name, but no, that would be foolish, so he silenced himself; if B was alerted to his presence at this point, there was to be no rescuing Lawliet later.

But how to escape these damned ropes was the current question on Raito's mind; they were tight, made of the finest quality, it seemed Beyond Birthday was far from a cheapskate. The Prince's sword was not nearby at all, or from at least in the young man's point of view; and strong ears caught now not only more shouting, but that of animalistic growls and whines. Wolves...? Raito knew they populated this certain forest in great quantity, and it made the brunette's search for a way out even more predominant in his mind.

Then…a tiny glimmer of light caught those amazing eyes of chocolate and caramel…

Raito tried to move his body as far from the tree as he possibly could, the ropes straining and pinching his body, but he was able to lean forward, moving his clever and perceptive gaze over every single blade of grass that was there, right in front of him. What he had chanced a glance at just HAD to be there…true, he was not even sure of WHAT he had seen, but…but…

And then, that little flash of light struck up again, and this time, Raito's gaze caught it, and the man let out a devilish grin.

Through the grace of the Gods, somehow, a knife had ended up right in front of Raito's tree; then the young royal hypothesized that perhaps Beyond had left it there, so he could have a tool within easy reach when he came back to finish off Raito? For maybe, just maybe, the killer did not feel that Raito would be awakened early?

…That guess was even more confirmed when a dark, evil voice shouted out,

"Lawli, DON'T run away! Just because that chloroform wore off doesn't change a thing! You ARE still coming back with me!" The last statement had ended in a snarl.

"Never!" The insomniac returned, but then let out a started shout, with the words, "GET OFF of me!!"

Time was running out…that precious time…And Raito had to make a move, and make it now…

"Grr…" Raito leaned as close to the knife as he possibly could, it could not be more than a few feet, possibly two, away, yet he could not grasp it with those strong teeth of his, "Dammit…"

Another scream from Lawliet, and Raito's heart began to beat like that of a war-drum: continuous, loud, and nerve-wracking. Father Time was dying on the enchanting prince, and it was either now or never…for L was about to be lost for good.

"Come ON…" Raito stretched even more, the ropes sinking into his body, and barely moving, but he continued on, groaning as he moves continued to be futile; he stopped once more, and whined out a whispered plea, "Please…someone help me…please…"

…_I cannot lose him NOW…Not NOW…!! Just when he had returned to my arms…! PLEASE, I know there is SOMEONE out there that could help me, just a tiny bit…! Ah, but who would listen to my prayers…really…?! I caused this mess, did I not…? I did not protect him well enough…I led him right to the slaughter, the lion's den…and who knows about this situation other than myself…!? L…_

_L…I'm SORRY…!!!_

_FORGIVE ME…_

_Wherever we end up, I promise, one day, I'll find you again…!! I just wish it did not have to end like so…with you going off with a man you do not love whatsoever, and I end up a corpse in this dammed woods…_

…_L……I…_

Then…a piercing shock rain through the Yagami's head, and the Prince let out a gasp of pain as a voice, a woman's voice, no…two…two voices…no, now three…Four…?! What was wrong with him; was it that drug from before!?

_Save my SON…!!! _It was a sorrowful cry from a distressed woman, and for an instant, Raito could almost picture a beautiful raven beauty screaming in pain, in agony, _SAVE MY LAWLIET…!!_

_Don't give up, PLEASE…!! _A strong masculine voice screamed at Raito, _PLEASE, save him…save my little boy, the last of us…_

_PLEASE…he was never my flesh and blood but he means the world to me…_This voice carried a feminine tone as well, a woman, but she did not scream as the other one had; her tone was commanding, strong, eloquent, but there was pain there, longing as well.

…._Yagami…Prince Yagami…open your eyes…_The final voice was a woman as well, but with a monotonous tone, deep, and extremely forceful.

…Raito did not remember when he had closed his eyes exactly, most likely due to trying to stop the voices screaming in his mind, but as if he had become a puppet, he lifted his eyes, cinnamon spice eyes shooting open…And the Prince blinked at what he saw.

Three transparent persons floated, with pale hands grasping at a pale figure standing in the center of them…a woman, whose purple and white hair flowed elegantly around her thinly framed face, whose beady yellow eyes pierced right through Raito…

He did not know of her name…but she had to be…

"…A witch…" The brunette choked out; sepia eyes then turned to the ghostly figures, and after a moment of recollection, he screamed softly, for he knew those three people…

Takumi Lawliet…

Lisette Lawliet…

And Naomi Misora…

_S-She summoned them…from the dead?!_

The living woman spoke softly, but orderly, "Yagami…you are not to give up. You are not the only one who cares about Lawliet…about that man….save him not just for yourself but for…" The magical lady nodded towards the spirits, whom had planted their feet upon the ground, their bodies flickering in the light.

"…How? A-And who are you? Why are you here?! Can you get me out?!"

"You know how, dear boy, you're an intelligent specimen, I'm sure you can figure it out. And as for my name, you may call me Rem-"

"Rem, please release me!"

"…" The witch paused, gazing upon the handsome prince with a thoughtful look, but then shook her head, and "I cannot. I am here to assist L Lawliet, yes, but you must solve this last trial on your own. Prove your love, prove your strength. Save him."

"S-So why are they here then?" The young man nodded to the three apparitions, and Rem only just let out a laugh,

"Inspiration, I suppose. Now go, and fight…only you can solve this. But…I shall give you a **little **assistance, for I do wish to have the raven safe just as much as you do. I promised his brother and himself that I would protect them. So…"

The woman lifted up her bony left hand, while whispering words undistinguishable to Raito's mortal ears, and suddenly, a breeze came from the north, a strong, gushing wind…that pushed Beyond Birthday's knife closer to the Prince.

"…W-Wait! What about-"

But Rem had already vanished, along with the tag-along ghosts.

_Inspiration indeed, Rem…_

Raito had forgotten this fight was not just about him and Lawliet; there were others who had longed to protect L from all that harmed him, and yet, it ended up killing them in the end, but they regretted not a second of it.

Would that be him when this was all said and done? Just another memory in L's mind of another person who had loved him, but died while doing so?

…No.

The Prince was to make sure of it; he was the last one L had left. Perhaps those spirits of his parents and stepmother had been watching over him all this time, maybe protecting them, but could they not only do so much? And…and what was to be of the promise to L?

_"I promise…I shall protect you…"_

Had not the beautiful man uttered those words? Didn't he?

…And he had to live up to it. There was no question there. He HAD to…

…And Rem, that far-from-senility she-witch…had been right about another thing…

_"You must solve this last trial on your own…Prove your love. Prove your strength…Save Him."_

It was time to prove that Raito could, and would, and should, be this man's permanent lover. Pretty, sweet words only got one so far, actions got them farther.

And now was the time for action…

It was time to prove that he could be L's soul mate, forever…

It was time to prove that he had the strength, the will, and the heart to do so …

And…

It was time to stop whining to himself and others, and begging for help when Raito got himself into a horrid and-or ugly situation…

Whenever Raito had gotten into a sticky situation, what had he done?

…Run to Mommy. Run to Daddy. Run to friends, family, whoever could (no, more like would) stand to listen to his voice.

…Well…

It was time to end that, and end it now.

It was time to grow up, and be a man. A real lover, a real protector.

He WOULD solve this…stop this…save the man…

Even if it killed him…

…

Raito let out a growl, and leaned forward once more with all his might, straining those tight ropes once more. Rem had pushed the knife a great deal closer, but it was still a good distance away from the Prince, but the Yagami did not let that bother him.

"Grr…Come ON!" Raito let out in another loud yell, and pushed even more, leaning his open mouth closer to the hilt; if he could just get the hilt between his pearly-white teeth, and then push it behind his hands…

The ropes began to buckle under the pressure, Raito exerting all his strength, and the young man felt them loosen….Giving him a shorter distance between him and the knife…

And that was enough distance to get the knife in his mouth.

Pulling back rapidly, the Prince dropped the knife behind his back, where a fairly movable hand caught it, and began sawing off the ropes that had constricted his hands the most.

And then, then came the ropes around his body, and not three minutes later had the shoddy ropes fallen around the strong, tan body, and Raito leaped to his feet, grasping the knife firmly in his hands.

Now…it was time to move…

For…

Father Time was ticking away…

OoOOOooOOOOOoOOOOOOOOoOOOOOooO

The Yagami youngling ran through the woods, fast as a cheetah on the hunt, towards those loudening screams and shouts. Jumping over logs, and dodging boulders in his way presented not a problem and Raito kept up the chase, covering excellent ground by the second.

On his way towards the sounds, he spied a horse-drawn wooden cart that had, built into it, chains. Four handcuff apparatuses were nailed into the oak woods, to hold a captive in his place for a great deal of time…There was no question in Raito's mind who owned that damn cart; it was even made more true when he spotted tiny midnight locks settled upon the wood.

But now was not the time for observations, and finally, Raito made it through the thickest part of the woods, and from behind a few trees, he caught a glance of a fairly-unharmed Lawliet, who was backing up…

Against a cliff.

…Of course…This forest…The Hasegawa Woods…

It was near the sea…

"Tsk, tsk, Lawli…You shouldn't step any further back, I don't want to lose you."

"…W-What have you done with Raito?!" L screamed, and collapsed to his knees, just a few feet from the cliff's edge; Raito could see all clearly, hiding behind a tree only a few feet away from the quarreling duo.

"Why, Lawli, what do you think I did? I killed him, of course. Or, he's GOING to die. Maybe he's already dead. Who knows what that drug did to him, really."

"…You monster…" The raven's voice shook, while the other just let out a cackling laugh, stating,

"OH, L, IS that something you should say to your future husband? Now come, let me just put this chloroform to your face, and we'll be on our way. Travel to a nice, new kingdom, give you a new name…we'll start a whole new life together!"

"NO! I'd rather die! I'd rather-"

"You're not taking him anywhere." Raito stepped out from behind the tree and just the opportune moment, for Beyond had just jumped on top of L, snarling, but the pairs of ebony and ruby orbs widened when the Prince revealed himself.

"Raito!" L screamed, and even the stupidest human could hear the joy and ecstasy in his normally stoic voice.

"…You're alive." B drawled out blandly, and gave a small chuckle, "KYAHAHAH! I don't know whether to say you're some freaky human that just can't die, an immortal, or a stupid love-struck moron."

"Maybe I'm all three, Beyond?" Raito returned snidely, and the killer just snorted in contempt.

"Fool…I gave you a chance to run, to flee…yet you are just a persistent little insect, aren't you, your Highness?"

"…I have been called worse, Beyond Birthday."

"I'm sure you have." The serial maniac spat, an evil, deadly, and full-of-hatred grin blossomed on his face like a bloody rose. "But that shall be the LAST thing you will be called!"

And then, B charged at Raito, but this time, the royal was ready, the knife from before in his hands, and when the killer tackled the Prince to the grassy ground, L jumping out of the way with a shout, the two knives clanked against each other, metal hitting metal, B's face inches from the brunette's own.

"Ah, I see you have picked up one of my precious toys, your Highness…"

"Well, you shouldn't leave them lying around!"

The two men's weapons were non-moving, for the humans' strengths were of equal measure; they grunted and groaned, both staring furiously into each other's eyes, B smirking all the while.

"My, you DON'T give up, do you?! Well, FINE, let's see how much your little Lawli-pop likes you with a few scars!"

Raito did not see the knife coming whatsoever, nor when Beyond had exerted enough strength to do that maneuver, but he felt the slash across his cheek, and he flung his head back with a painful scream; how Beyond had been able to gather up that much strength and power in seconds was amazing...this man, this maniac, this killer…was far from a pushover.

"HAHA! Does it HURT? IT BLEEDS, well it SHOULD!" Beyond screamed, "The pretty little Princess feels PAIN, doesn't he!? Who would have THOUGHT!"

Another slash, this one just as painful, across the other tan cheek, and with that, another scream from Raito, a strong hand coming up to grasp his bloody cheek.

"I should have finished you off before….but now I WILL." There was a hatred shining in blood-hued eyes that Raito had never seen in another human being, creature...anything. And that look was to haunt him forever…

But now…now he could not think any cognitive thoughts, for Beyond had raised his own knife above Raito's heart, ready to stab with a plundering motion, a satanic grin on his face, and his dark voice whispered, "Goodbye...We'll meet again in Hell."

…But there was one factor both men had forgotten of:

L. Lawliet.

The man was silent, the man was sneaky and quiet, but the next few seconds seemed to be frozen in time…

"This ends for-" But B was silenced, cutting himself off with his own gasp as a powerful, nimble foot collided with his back; garnet eyes widened in shock as the lanky murderer found himself stumbling forwards…towards the edge of the cliff.

A pale face turned onto L, whose foot was raised gallantly, like that of a brave knight in shining armor; Beyond's face remained in that frightened and abashed position, in awe, but for a fleeing second…his face took on an evil glare, a look of hatred, but a look of contempt smugness, as if to say, 'Exactly as planned'…

A piercing scream filled the air as Beyond Birthday's body tumbled forward, and off the edge of the cliff, down to the cold, bottomless Semarian Sea, Raito's face turning to shocked horror, L's remaining a cold neutral.

And then…there was silence…

Deathly Silence…

"Y-You just…"

"I did." L returned, and extended a hand out to the still-fallen Prince, but stopped. The younger of the duo lifted his head, as if he expected to hear a noise, anything.

"…L?" The stillness of his lover worried Raito to extremes; Lawliet's orbs were focused on the edge of the cliff, his mind moving thousands of miles an hour; that was what the Prince could just tell by gazing at his raven's eyes.

"…Raito…" The young insomniac stepped away from the kind royal, and dropped to his knees near the edge of the cliff, "Did...did you happen to hear any noise whatsoever when Beyond went over the cliff?"

"…No. What does that-" But Raito did not finish that statement…he knew what Lawliet was referring to.

No noise…yet Beyond fell into the sea…the water…

And one does make noise when they fall into the water, yes?

…They call it a "splash"…

"…L, no, come on, maybe we didn't hear it? Maybe the sea is…is really rough?!"

"…" The other man remained silent, staring down below himself and his lover, and after a moment, whispered, "No, Raito." with a shake of his head.

The brunette came to stand beside his L, to only find what the man had stated was true; the water was as calm as ever, not even any small ripples sashaying around like ballet dancers could be spotted. There was not a sign of a body anywhere in sight, no screams for help, no splashing around...nothing.

"Raito, lower me down!"

"What?! L, what are you doing!?"

Lawliet crawled closer to the edge, and leaned forward; Raito, fearing for the man's safety, grabbed the younger one's body, more specifically his legs, and as L leaned over to gaze at the wall of the cliff, and got a better look below, the Prince had not a clue as to what the other was looking for.

"L, what's going on?! What do you see, there's nothing there, right?"

"…" But Lawliet did not reply, his body hanging there, a gentle breeze picking up once more; it was after a few silent moments, save for Raito's grunting of strength, until L spoke up, stating calmly, "Raito. Pull me back up."

The older one did, and the raven's pallid face was a ghost-hue of whiteness, like the first snow of winter.

"…Lawliet, what is it?"

"…H-He...He planned this…" L whispered so quietly, Raito had to strain to hear him, "T-There…there are caves…a-around the side of the cliff…With rocks nearby that are easy to grip and climbable…S-Spikes sticking out horizontally…so you can land on them…t-they lead right into the caves…"

Raito gaped in awe at his lover, sputtering out, "A-Are you serious?!"

The former slave just nodded, saying in a hushed tone, "Raito...he is not dead…"

The fear shining in those ebony orbs struck a blow in the Prince's heart, even more so when that lithe, pale body began to shiver out of fright, out of the prospect that Beyond Birthday would return one day, one day to finish the job.

"I-I should have just grabbed a weapon, something!" L's voice rose, "I-I should have knocked him out, then have him arrested, something! I-I…" The man's statement never finished, for a whine cut him off, and Lawliet fell into the royal's open arms, eyes watering up, unleashing harsh tears down thin, bony cheeks; all the while, Raito held the young man, rubbing his back, murmuring soothing, sweet sounds of remorse and recovery,

"Easy, L…I'll send the police out here, they'll look for him, okay? Find him…or his body."

But Raito knew that Lawliet was right: Beyond was not dead.

No splash.

No sounds.

No screams while floundering in the water.

Nothing to show a drowning death…

All the while, B's words rang in Raito's head…

_"Goodbye for now…We'll meet again in Hell."_

But…Beyond had not specified which Hell he was referring to…

Lucifer's domain…Or…

The Hell he would unleash at his return…

OoOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoOoOooo

**The Yagami Castle, Seven P.M.**

OoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooOooOoOOoOO

L had not cried for long upon that cliff, for he noticed Raito's cut arm had begun to bleed once more, the pain coming back into the forefront of the Yagami's mind. Not to mention the cuts on Raito's face that continued to bleed, and Lawliet knew that they would forever leave scars.

So while the royal nurses and doctors tended to his lover, Lawliet perched like a crow upon a love-seat in Raito's bedroom, staring out at one of the large bay windows; a red and yellow sunset was painting the sky, with some spots of orange, violet, and blue mixed in as well. It was a peaceful night, finally, and at last. L had not had a peaceful night ever since he and Raito had had their dates, and the fortification.

The door to the room opened slowly, with soft footsteps mimicking that of a woman's; it was indeed a young woman, L could tell when he slightly turned his head. She was a young one, no older that fifteen, a thin, healthy-hued face, and black glasses framing her face. Her hair was pulled back with a scarf, and dressed in a simple dress, Lawliet recalled her to be one of the high-end maids-slash-nurses the Yagamis' had hired.

"Lord L, Raito-san has asked me to come and check your wounds, and see if you needed anything."

Lord L…my, that title would take some getting used to.

"Ah…Katherine-san, was it?" The girl nodded in reply, and L continued, "How is he?"

"Fine, Sir. The doctors did a fantastic job, but he shall have scars on his face and arm; they're said to be not too clear, so hopefully the young master won't be self-conscious? But I'm sure I'm not the only one that doubts that." The girl gave a small chuckle, and Lawliet had to smile; she was a whipper-snapper behind the scenes, but when actually facing the royals, she did have to take a serving and demur-esque attitude.

"Miss Katherine-san, this is Raito...what do you think will happen?"

"I don't think it's my place to say, Lord L." There was a smirk on her face that told another story, "Now, how about your wounds? Have you been in any pain at all? Did Beyond hurt you?"

"I'm quite alright, thank you. Though I do have a few small cuts on my arm, can you tend to them?"

Katherine nodded, and came over to the raven, whom lifted up his left arm, pulling back the sleeve to reveal small punctures and cuts that did need tending; the woman set right to work, bringing closer the small bowl of antiseptic and bandages she had brought to the room with her.

"After this, His Highness wishes to speak with you, Lord L." Katherine spoke quietly, smiling, "In the Royal Gardens. He's up and about, doing quite well, and he seemed to be in quite a peppy mood."

"Surprising, since he got stabbed and slashed today." L rolled his eyes, biting back a gasp of pain as more antiseptic was put onto his arm.

"How did you get these, if I may ask, Sir?"

"Ah…Mikami, mostly. But see these two?" Lawliet pointed to a patch of skin near his wrist, "Beyond gave me these, and he gave me a few others while I tried to escape from him. And nature gave me a few too, as I ran. Thorns and such."

The nurse nodded, beginning to bandage the first few cuts. "I see. Well, at least you're safe. YOU didn't see that prince of yours when he was all depressed, I don't want to see what he would have done if you had gone away for good. I'd be mopping up his damn tears until I was eighteen!"

Lawliet laughed, and shook his head, "Good old Raito, eh, Katherine-san?"

"Indeed. Whiny little pretty-boy Princess-" Katherine stopped, as if she remembered whom she was speaking to, "O-Oh, Lord L, please, do not take offense to that, I'm just-"

"It is alright." But the raven just smiled, "In my mind, I have called him that as well. I'm sure he's used to it by now."

The young brown-haired girl grinned, placing more antiseptic and bandages on Lawliet's arm, "He is extremely lucky to have you...I started working here two years ago, and he told me once, 'Katherine, love bites. It just does. They, the other lover, always does something inexplicably stupid or arrogant or just plain wrong, and you have to leave them for the sake of your sanity. That's why I never stick around with these ladies long, maybe a date here or there, but they make me go on those dates. My parents. Those women...they just aren't for me. At this rate, I'd have better luck with finding a lover for myself by him or her falling out of the sky rather than anything…'. Then…after he met you…he said to me, 'Katty…he fell out of the sky today.'"

"…Really…"

"Yes, my Lord. He did. You were his miracle, one can just tell by the way he looks at you."

"…" The raven remained silent, smiling, thinking inwardly,

_No, he is MY miracle…_

"Alright, all set!" Katherine chirped, patting Lawliet on his shoulder, "Go on and see him then."

"Thank you Miss Katherine." L stood, and bowed to the woman out of habit, "Oh…and say hi to David-san for me." There was an impish grin on the sweets-lover's face, and he chuckled internally when a rosy blush came upon Katherine's face.

"I-I…how did you know I was seeing Doctor David?"

"…I know plenty, Katherine-san. I know plenty."

With that, L Lawliet left the blushing woman in his room, pouting at the back of the skinny man, inwardly and outwardly, in a mute fashion, cursing the gossips of the castle.

OoOoooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

**The Royal Gardens, Seven Fifteen P.M.**

OOOoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooO

Raito was sitting there, twiddling his thumbs, feet digging into the grass with apprehension. Lawliet had to admit, watching the Prince from behind a shrub was quite entertaining, acting like some form of an advanced spy and all. But L knew this was not the time to play games, so he walked silently, until his figure stood directly behind the royal, smirking all the while. The insomniac could hear the man uttering words under his warm breath, but they could not be made out quite that well.

"So…Raito wanted to see me?"

"AH!!" The Prince screamed in shock, and even fell of the bench, the same bench where he and Lawliet had sat on their first date, "WILL YOU A-ACCEPT IT?!"

"…" L titled his head as his lover landed on the grass, shaking his head, "Accept what Raito?"

"…Uh…" The brunette stood up, brushing off the grass from his dress pants, "Well...heh, this isn't how I expected this moment to go, L."

"Moment? Expected? Raito, moments usually do go unexpected, do they not?"

"I suppose…" The Prince returned to his seat, patting the spot next to him, beckoning Lawliet over to him; the young former servant complied, crouching upon the bench, giving the royal an inquisitive look.

"…Raito…what is it?"

The Prince was flustered, embarrassed, a plethora of words could be used to described Raito's physical and mental state, his amber eyes glued to the ground, not chancing a glance at Lawliet whatsoever.

"…You said…You said before you would stay with me, right?"

"Yes, of course."

"Then…" Raito reached a hand into his pocket, pulling out a small box, but before he could utter another word, Lawliet fell off the bench, eyes wide, and he shouted,

"IS THAT WHAT I THINK IT IS?!"

"…Um…If you thought it was a ring, then yes."

"…OH GOD, RAITO! W-What…what…You…"

"…" The Prince sighed, "Look, I know this is unlike me, but…I wanted to show you how…UGH! Everything I possibly could say would sound sappy, dammit!" Raito grunted, got up from the bench, and strode to Lawliet, helping him, a little bit roughly, off the ground, stating,

"Look you. I LOVE you L Lawliet. You're everything I've ever wanted in another person, partner, whatever you want to call it, and you KNOW you think the same of me, so…so…just fucking MARRY ME!"

L remained silent for a moment, but then let out in a bored drawl, "…Well…that was the oddest, crudest, most nontraditional marriage proposal I have ever heard Raito. And you did not even get down on one knee-"

But there was no need to finish that statement, for the Prince had already gotten down on one knee, holding Lawliet's right hand gently, and the brunette murmured,

"Is this better for you then, dear Prince…Lawliet?"

"…I was just teasing Raito; you did not have to do that."

"I know, but...but I wanted to."

"…Why?"

"Because, L…" Raito paused for a moment, trying to choose the correct words, "You're my…my…miracle…You're just my perfect little love miracle…"

"So I have heard, and so I have been leading myself to believe…though I consider it to be the other way around."

"What? That I'm YOUR Fairytale princess?"

L laughed, "OH, **I** am the Princess? Hmm…I thought you were, my little Rai-chan. All…'OOOH, LAWLIET! HARDER! FASTER! PLEASE!'-"

"L, shut up and take the damn ring-EEK!"

The "glomp" that followed that statement, along with the heated kiss from Lawliet, was to be remembered in Raito Yagami's mind for all eternity; he would never forget how L shouted, "YES!" right after that, and how the ring, a gold band, with one stone of opal in it (Lawliet's birthstone), shone in the setting sun. The royal would remember how the man continued to kiss his smooth face, his eyelids, his pink, soft lips, and how those pale hands continued to hug that strong, firm body.

It was a time of remembrances…

The Past:

The pain in the past, the torture, the lights of hope fading away into nothingness…

The Present:

Those lips, those hands, the laughter, the cries of joy, the shrieks of happiness, mainly from Sayu (damn the girl, she found them in the garden), the wolf-whistles and clapping (dammit, Mello and Mail too!?), the sun shining on ebony locks and cinnamon hair…

The Future:

…The family they would have…The ruling of the kingdom they would rule together, side by side…The child or children they would adopt (they would need a heir after all!)…

The warm hugs…the sweet kisses…the arguments to come too…the waking up every morning and seeing him there…Dates together…Sneaking a kiss behind the castle during the breaks of important meetings…Making love (_anywhere, everywhere, I shall see to it_……that was Lawliet's mind)……

…Marriage…Life…Love…

…The future…it finally…

FINALLY…

Looked good for Lawliet…

The fact that Beyond Birthday was still out there did not bother either of them in this moment, why ruin it with reality?

…For Lawliet…

Was finally receiving his happy ending…

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A/N:

(Sighs)…I'mma miss this baby. D: Seriously. Well, enjoy the epilogue too! : D I decided to submit both at once, to finish off the story!

I'd love to thank all of you for the ride, it's been fun, and I can bow gracefully and say that I have no regrets for this story whatsoever. : )

Songs that I listened to during this include "Just Like a Pill", by Pink, pretty much every song on my playlist, and, interestingly, "I Do" by Jewel came on my IPOD right at the proposal scene. XD

Sooo…I'll see you all at the epilogue. Thanks so much for everything everyone, love to you allll!! : DDDD


	15. Epilogue: Relish in the Happiness

A/N: Ahhh…My final author note for this story. Didn't think this would be happening for a while.

I've had so much fun with this story, you wouldn't believe it. I never thought it would get this big either! XD And my first 'over ten chapters' DN story is finally complete, and I couldn't be happier!

So, please, tell me if you enjoy this last little ending to our tale! And as for the sequel, I shall be writing it soon, but not too soon. I'd like to finish some of my other stories first, and maybe start one or two as well. But it's coming, don't worry! : D

And as for songs: "Your Color" by BoA was the main song for this ending. ;D

Thank you for everything, every single reader! I'll try to reply to every single comment that I have not yet soon, so hang in there! XD And thank you, and let us close up our Fairytale:

_OooOooOooooOOoOoOoOOooOOo_

_"Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairytale."_

_- Unknown_

_OoOoOoOoOOooOOOOoOoOOOoOOOoOOOOOOOOOoooOOOOo_

…**Three Months Later…**

The duo had been married upon the next full moon, as was tradition in the Yagami household, and the ceremony was said to be the most tearful and beautiful in centuries. Not a dry eye was present when Raito stated his own hand-written vows to Lawliet, who had, without even asking Raito if he wished him to or not, wore a wedding dress to the ceremony. In fact, that little tidbit had been a surprise, and had caused quite a lot of gasping (and nosebleeds from the Prince) while L walked down the aisle.

All had been invited to the wedding: Every single royal advisor (Aizawa, Ukita, Mogi, and many others) and soldier (there was even a salute with raised swords as Lawliet had strode down the aisle), Mello, Matt, even Ryuk. L had personally invited Watari, Halle, and the rest of the Wammy's crew, and every single child that was housed at the Orphanage, including Near. Rem the witch had also received an invite, in thanks for all of her assistance. Princes from the surrounding kingdoms had turned out as well, including Prince Matsuda (Lady Sayu stayed FAR, FAR away from him, despite her father's grumblings). What surprised Raito the most was that L had invited Mikami, as a peace offering; the hermit had obliged grumbling, but once his eyes had set upon Prince Matsuda, his squabbling was swiftly silenced, and the two young dark-haired men got especially close during the ceremony. And the public turned out as well, many standing around the walls of the church, or outside, listening to every word spoken on loudspeakers that had been set up. All classes of persons, noble, servant, slave, and all ages, had been cordially invited.

The gala afterward was just as memorable, all invited to that as well, for Raito had proclaimed to himself and his parents, "The time for change has come." Delicious food, which had Lawliet's mouth watering especially, gorgeous, memorable music, and laughs and dancing, filled the hall that night.

And later that night, love making occurred in Raito and L's bedroom, the Prince submitting himself to his lover each time, for they did it more than once that night…

The next morning, the two left for their honeymoon, in the kingdom of Helek, where four weeks were spent in a lavish castle by the Nidarian Sea, where neither man left each other's side.

Now, Lawliet and the royal had returned back to their home, and Raito had officially become the King due to his marriage, his Father Soichiro retiring happily to a summer home in Naneamas with Sachiko, taking Sayu with them, for the brunette boy Yagami had wished for his little sister to not bother him and his newlywed husband for a good while, even though the girl put up quite a fit, but after Raito agreed she could visit every month, twice a month, she complied.

Mello and Matt chose to reside in the castle, continuing to date, and both hypothesized they would not even think of marriage for some time, for a good while.

But the greatest news came when Raito enacted his first royal duty as the ruling King of Kisamari: The complete banning of slaves and servants in the kingdom.

Raito's popularity as ruler had skyrocketed, and even though many of the high officials had objected to the matter, he did not care, and the classes were banned for "all eternity, as long as my family rules this land." All servants and slaves were made into normal citizens, not bound to anyone at all, and could go out on their own to make a living, and, since many of them were hypothesized to be extremely poor, the government would help them.

Also, as Raito's second duty as King, all orphanages would no longer be taxed, and when the news was broken to Watari, the elder literally broke down crying, hugging Lawliet tightly, stating over and over again to Raito, whom had also been present, "Thank you. You...You saved them all." The government was also ordered to step in and help many of the run-down and poor orphanages, including Wammy's House.

More good news followed later on: L had immediately found an heir for Raito. The Prince had been shocked that the younger, sweets-addicted, man wanted to bring a child into their relationship so early, but all L stated was, "The child shall not bother us in the least."

That child…was Near. Nate River.

And Near was not a bother at all, adapting to the castle happily, bringing in the few toys he had, and Raito being more than happy to buy him more. He never pestered the young lovers, and the Prince knew, deep down, that he was to become a fabulous heir one day, with his superb intelligence and all.

There was more happiness to come…

Misa and Takada were sweltering away, far away, in Helek at the washhouses as servants, and Lawliet could not be happier when he read the report.

And Lawliet became even MORE joyous when Raito complied with a simple request: To have a Takumi and Lisette Lawliet memorial park built in Kanto; L had been there at the grand opening, and cut the ribbon, and broke down in joyous tears when he saw the surprise statues of his parents that Raito had commissioned to be built.

But…there was one bad thing:

Beyond Birthday.

His body had truly never been found.

Divers had searched the seas; the police had searched the caves, forest, and his old hideout, everywhere. Helek and Naneamas officers had chipped in help, but he was not even spotted there.

And Lawliet was fretting.

He had been having nightmares for the past week, those same red eyes piercing into his soul, and he dreamed his body had been forcibly taken by the killer, all the while Raito suffered a painful death nearby. Each dark night, the insomniac, whom had been trying to regain some sleep, hence the act of sleeping, was a wreck of epic proportions. He had not told his new partner and husband what was happening, but he could just tell Raito knew by the way the brunette looked at him: Pitying, sorrow…helplessness.

_How had the maniac escaped…? HOW…?_

It was the question soaring through the young genius' mind as he stood gazing out the window as the sun was setting behind the hills of Kisamari; strong, but gentle, hands came to wrap around L's waist as his midnight orbs stared out into the twilight sky.

"…They never found him, Raito."

"I know, L…"

"…" The pallid one turned to his healthy-skinned hero, "What are we going to do?"

"…Live and let live. And love."

Lawliet smiled, leaning back into Raito's embrace, "And you state that I am the hopeless romantic."

"You know it is the truth, Lawliet. All we can do is live, and if he comes back, I shall do everything in my power to protect you."

"Raito...even you cannot protect me from the Devil Incarnate…"

"…Maybe. But somehow, I pictured Lucifer to be scarier. L, this man is mortal. Remember that."

"…I shall. But Raito-"

"Hush." A finger placed itself over ashen lips, "Let's not talk about him anymore. Yes, he's out there, somewhere. Waiting for something to lure him back. But…let him come. Let Hell come. We have each other. And life is painful L, so there are going to be people like him out there, yet we can't let it bother us."

"Pain…Life is pain."

"Life is pain, Highness, and anyone who says differently is selling something." Raito grinned, kissing L's cheek, "Now come on…Let's just come and rest in bed, okay? I brought cake. I thought it might help you sleep."

"Cake?" Had Christmas just come, or did Lawliet ALWAYS look this happy when cake was talked of?

Raito laughed, "Yes, come on…relish in your happy ending, alright?"

"Happy ending?"

"Mmm…Yes, now come on!" The Prince pulled his lover to the bed, where a plate of fresh chocolate cake was waiting, and L actually squealed in delight.

Yes…it was his happy ending……

A Happy Ending to his Tale…

His Magical Tale…

His, dare he say it…

Fairytale…

OooooOOOOOOoooOoOoooOoOooOooOooooo

**Miles Away, the Hasegawa Woods**

OoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

They had never found a body…for there was not a body to be found…

And Beyond stood upon a boulder overlooking the nearby lake with an evil gleam in his eyes.

Oh, they had thought they had won, oh yes, they certainly thought that…

But they were wrong…

Deathly Wrong.

"KYAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ruby-garnet orbs glistened in the moonlight as Beyond Birthday began to hatch his next plan, a plan that was, dare he say it, foolproof, and it would be the last one he would ever have to do.

For he knew whom could help him now…he knew a woman, that with the right bait, would bow to his will and assist him in any single way possible.

For he had seen how Rem the Witch, at that damned wedding (which he had snuck into, disguised as a baker, oh, how those guards were stupid), had been completely enamored with Ryuk the Royal bodyguard…

But this plan would take time, oh indeed, a great amount of time to concoct. He would need to make sure it was perfect…

Perfect for revenge…

Perfect for capturing his Lawli-pop into his arms forever…

"Ahahaha...so much for their happy ending…" A manic grin bloomed upon B's face, "But this ends soon...and it shall end well for me and me alone…Maybe Lawliet, if things go according to plan…Hehn Hehn Hehn……"

With those final words, Beyond hopped off the rock, and ran through the forest, laughing to himself…

For this was not to be a classic fairytale ending Raito and Lawliet…

With love, sugar, happiness, and cute, little children…

…If anything…

It was to end as a Deathly Fairytale for many…

A damning, irrevocable, irreversible Deathly Fairytale…

OoOooOOoOoOOoO

**END**

oOOOooooOOoOOOOoOoO


End file.
